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Franke, Elmer Ellsworth, 
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The facts about our Bible 


Digitized by the Internet Archive 
in 2022 with funding from 
Princeton Theological Seminary Library 


https://archive.org/details/factsaboutourbibOOfran 








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The Facts About 


/OUR BIBLE: 


Historicity, Inerrancy 
and Inspiration 


By 
PASTOR ELMER E. FRANKE 


Published by 
THE PEOPLE’S CHRISTIAN BULLETIN 
573 West 18l1st Street 
New York City 





The Facts About 


OUR BIBLE 


ITS HISTORICITY, INERRANC% 
AND INSPIRATION a, MK 


4 


\ 


| “A JuVAL OF 
From a Fundamentalist Viewpoint’ —---— 


By 
ELMER E. FRANKE 


Pastor of 
The People’s Christian Church, New York City 


Editor of 
The People’s Christian Bulletin 


Author of 


“The Virgin Birth and Divinity of Christ” 
“Science and the Bible” “Rise and Fall 
of Nations” and other works. 


Published by 
THE PEOPLE’S CHRISTIAN BULLETIN 
573 West 18l1st Street 
New York City 











Copyright | 1925 ae 


ese #: By Evmer E. FRaANKE 
er a4 . Ped . ; tae ; ; 3 ee at oo be 
ee _ Printed in the United States of America 





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HERE did we get our Bible? Who wrote it? 

Is it the mere word of man, or the unchange- 
able, inerrant, inspired Word of God? These are 
questions that are pertinent at this time, for there 
never was so much Biblical criticism as there is 
today. Pulpit, press and college seem to have con- 
spired with the infidel, agnostic and doubter, to 
relegate the Bible to obscurity. 


We believe the Bible to be the unfailing, eternal 
Word of God, spoken and written by holy men in 
ages past, and that it is absolutely inerrant and in- 
spired. Believing this, we herein endeavor to give 
a brief, yet comprehensive resume of the history of 
the Bible. 


Of necessity, in a book of this size, brevity is 
essential; but facts have not been sacrificed for 
brevity. It has been no easy task to explore and 
probe among the writings of scholars, historians 
and others, for the facts herein set forth, and if at 
times we have failed unconsciously to give credit 
where credit belongs, (although we have tried to 
do so), we now and here say that there has been 
no attempt at literary piracy. 


Cur whole intent and purpose is to set forth 
the truth so that the reverence that is becoming 


to the Word of God shall be the more established 
in the hearts of His people, and that it may be the 
means also, in God’s hand, of establishing some in 
the faith who have heretofore listened to the blatant, 


inconsistent harangues, and super-critical and often. 


dishonest criticisms by “Modernists” and higher 
critics, who pose as the “know-alls” of this gener- 
ation. It is appalling when one considers that in 
many cases a college or theological course today 
leads to infidelity or a pseudo-religious position that 
denies God, Christ, the miracles, and the Bible 
itself. We would counteract this influence as far as 
in us lies, and let the world know that there are 
still some evangelical Bible Christians who are 
willing to stand for their faith, whether it be 
through the press, in the pulpit or on the polemical 
platform. This we have always been willing to do, 
and if the reader desires to know why we believe 
the Bible, why we believe every word of the Bible, 
these pages will serve to enlighten him on that 
subject, and we hope to add to his faith some things 
that will lead him into the Bible itself for light and 
life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 


We are sending this forth breathing a prayer for 
its success. 


THE AUTHOR 


ST 


“ ———s oe 


Co My Good Friend 


Henry WH. Dreyer 


66 


a “@rother-Beloured’” anda “Crur-Yoke- 


Hellom’, this little unlume is dedicated. 


Che Author 


THE BIBLE 





tant. No matter how little he may depart from its 
teaching, or accept as doctrine, that which is not 
found in its pages, he leaves the Protestant platform 
and becomes defenseless in the hands of its enemies. 

In this book we use the terms “Scripture”, “Holy 
Scripture”, “Oracles of God”, and “God’s Word” in- 
terchangeably with the term “The Bible.” In the 
New Testament, the sacred writings are called “Scrip- 
ture’—John 5 :39—2-Timothy 3:16 and 2-Peter 3:16. 
They are called “Holy Scriptures” by Paul, in 2- 
Timothy 3:15, the “Word of God”, in 1-Thess. 2:13, 
and the “Oracles of God,” in Acts 7:38 and Romans 
3:2. They were first called “The Bible” in the fourth 
century, by Chrysostum. This term is from the Greek 
words Ta Biblia, meaning “the books ;” for as a matter 
of fact, the Bible is not only one book, but a whole 
library of books, sixty-six in all; written by about 
forty different men. 


CLASSIFICATION OF SECTS 


ap HERE are three classes which we must consider 

at the beginning of this treatise. Those who rest 
their faith on the all-sufficiency of the Bible, we call 
Protestants. Those who accept the Bible as of un- 
doubted authority, but who hold to other writings as 
equally, or more safe and sure, who must be classed 
with Roman Catholics, no matter what their protest 
may be. A third class, who deny the Bible as the 
Word of God and repudiate its teachings—doubters, 
skeptics, agnostics, haters of the Bible, so-called higher 
critics and ‘‘Modernists”’, all of whom constitute one 
class and must take their place together as doubters or 
unbelievers. The different parties outlined as above 
may reject my classification, but driven to a last an- 
alysis, they must abide their place. 

“All that glitters is not gold,” and pseudo Protes- 


10 


at 0 advan tees oO oe 





THE BIBLE 





tants, to be consistent, should drop the name “‘Protes- 
tant” and show their true colors. True Protestantism 
rests it’s faith on the Bible alone, believing it to be 
the only sure Word of God. Lutherans, Baptists, 
Presbyterians, Methodists and others, are supposed to 
make the Bible their court of last appeal. 


PROTESTANTISM 


ARTIN LUTHER, the forerunner of Protes- 

tantism, demanded a “thus saith the Lord” for 

his every belief, and stood firmly on the Bible. He 
said, in reply to those who opposed him: 

“As to me, I do not cease my cry of The Gospel! the 
Gospel! Christ! Christ ! Christ! and my enemies are as 
ready with their answer,—Custom! custom!—Ordinance! 
ordinance!—Fathers! fathers ee 

Again speaking of the Bible, he says— 

“Tt is to this Book that I keep,—upon it I rest,—in it 
I make my boast,—in it I triumph and exult over Papist, 
Aquinases, Henrys, Sophists, and all the swine of hell, 
The King of Heaven is on my side.’— D’Aubigne, Page 
289. 

The German princes, who gave the name to Prot- 
estants, based their famous protest on the eternal 
and unchangeable Word of God. I cannot do better 
here than to quote a part of that protest, which went 
forth from the German states, to give life to liberty 
and truth, and which was the first great step to give 
the Bible a free circulation to the world in the com- 
mon tongue. They said: 

“Moreover’—and this is the essential part of the pro- 
test—“the new edict declaring the ministers shall preach 
the Gospel, explaining it according to the writings ac- 
cepted by the holy Christian Church; we think that for 
this regulation to have any value, we should first agree 
on what is meant by this true and holy Church. Now, 
seeing that there is a great diversity of opinion in this 
respect; that there is no sure doctrine but such as is con- 
formable to the Word of God; that the Lord forbids the 
teaching of any other doctrine; that each text of the Holy 


11 


THE BIBLE 





Scripture ought to be explained by other and clearer 
texts; that this holy book is, in all things necessary for 
Christians, easy of understanding and calculated to scatter 
darkness; we are 
resolved, with the 
grace to God, to 
maintain the pure 
and exclusive 
teaching of His 
only Word, such 
as is contained 
in the biblical 
books of the Old 
and New Testa- 
ment, without 
adding anything 
thereto that may 
be contrary to it. 
This Word is the 
only truth; it is 
the sure rule of 
all doctrine and 
of all life, and 
can not fail or de- 
ceive us. He who 
builds on this 
foundation — shall 
‘stand against all MARTIN LUTHER 

the powers of hell 

whilst all human 

vanities that are set up against it shall fall before the 
face of God.” —History of the Reformation—D’Aubigne, 
Pages 447-8. 





All true Protestants and reformers, from Luther 
down, held these views. John Wesley, one of the later 
reformers, said: 


“I make the Word of God the rule of my life, and no 
more follow any secret impulse instead thereof, than I 
follow Mohammed or Confucius. I rest not on ectasies 
at all, for I never feel them, I desire neither my dreams 
or my waking thoughts to be at all regarded, unless so 
far as they agree with the oracles of God.” 


12 





THE BIBLE 





Dr. Dowling has truly said: 


“The Bible, and the Bible only, is the religion of 
Protestants. Nor is it of any account in the estimation 
of the genuine Protestant how early a doctrine originated, 
if it is not found in the Bible. . . Hence if a doctrine be 
propounded for his acceptance, he asks, Is it found in 
the inspired word? Was it taught by the Lord Jesus 
Christ or His apostles? If they knew nothing of it, no 
matter to him whether it be discovered in the musty folio 
of some ancient visionary of the third or fourth century, 
or whether it springs from the fertile brain of some 
modern visionary of the nineteenth. If it is not found 
in the Sacred Scriptures, it presents no valid claim to be 
received as an article of his religious creed.” 


CATHOLICISM 


‘| BE Catholic Church, while holding the Bible to 
be inspired, does not accept the Protestant view, 
but adds what it is pleased to term “divine tradition.” 
The following is the Catholic position, as stated in 
their own words: 

“Like two ‘sacred rivers flowing from Paradise, the 
Bible and divine tradition contain the word of God, the 
precious germs of revealed truth. Though these two 
divine streams are, in themselves, on account of their 
divine origin, of equal sacredness, and are both full of 
revealed truths, still, of the two TRADITION is to us 
more clear and safe.”—Catholic Belief, Page 45. 


PSEUDO-PROTESTANTISM 


O also Christian Scientists, Mormons, and cults 
headed by visionists, have retreated from the Prot- 
estant ground, viz—“The Bible and the Bible only,” 
and have to be placed squarely on the Catholic plat- 
form, admitting by both teaching and practice that the 
Bible is not their only rule of faith. With each of 
these, it is the Bible AND something else. They may 
prate about the Bible being God’s word and God’s 


I3 


THE BIBLE 


only word, and about its all-sufficiency in points of 
doctrine, but by their practice they deny this. 
Christian Scientists extol the Bible to the skies, 
but with them it is the Bible AND Mrs. Eddy’s ex- 
planation and ‘Key to Scripture.” 
Mormons say—O, yes, we believe the Bible AND 
the Book of Mormon. 


Then there are other cults and denominations, who, 
notwithstanding Christ’s warning against false pro- 
phets (Matt. 24:24), have or had a visionist among 
them. These preach most eloquently to the world 
and to those whom they would gather into their fold, 
the Bible as the Inspired Word of God and in itself 
sufficient as a rule of faith; BUT once within their 
ranks, one is initiated into the secret that, with them, 
it is the Bible AND the writings of their visionist. 


These are all one class, Catholics, Christian Scien- 
tists, Mormons and others. They all stand on Catholic 
ground and by their teachings and practices deny the 
Word of God, which says that the Holy Scripture, 
alone, is all that is necessary to salvation. 

Says the Bible: 


“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is 
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for 
instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may 
be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”— 
2-Timothy 3:16-17. 


Again it says: 


“The Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee 
wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 
2-Timothy 3:15. . 


Not only Catholics, but as we have seen, these 
so-called Protestant sects, Christian Scientists, Mor- 
mons and others, by their faith and practice deny 
not only the one great test of Protestantism (the 
Bibly ONLY as a rule of faith), but the Scripture 


14 





: 


THE BIBLE 


as well, which claims to be the one thing that will 
make men “wise unto salvation, through faith, which 
is in Christ Jesus”: and “thoroughly furnished unto 
all good works.” Each of these sects has its “infallible 
head,” its inspired teacher, besides the Bible. 


The writer must repudiate all this class, who are 
occupying Catholic ground, and take his stand with 
true Protestantism. He accepts as his faith “The 
Bible and the Bible only,’ and needs no interpreter— 
“knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture 
is of any private interpretation.” —2-Peter 1:20. 


REAL PROTESTANTISM 


T is not our purpose to enter into a discussion of 

the practices of the churches and denominations, 
nor of preachers and people who teach and claim to 
practice veal Protestantism. All creeds and denom- 
inations hold, more or less, that which will not stand 
the test of their platform. But, standing on that plat- 
form, (the Bible alone), no matter what error of in- 
terpretation, or of ignorance of Bible doctrine they 
have, there is the promise of God, that the Holy Spirit 
will lead them “into all truth,’ and Jesus said, “Thy 
word is truth.”—John 17:17. If consistent, they have 
only to be shown their error from the Bible and they 
will immediately bring their lives into harmony with 
its teaching. 


Standing on that rock, let each individual seek the 
Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit, and search the Bible 
diligently, until he is sure that he has purged out all 
of the old leaven borrowed from past practices and 
traditions, and he may rest assured that he will find 
liberty and peace in believing God’s Word, for, “all 
Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” 


15 





THE BIBLE 





INFIDELITY 


NG may deny the authenticity of the Bible; may 
by their faith and practice discount its teachings ; 
or, like the skeptic, higher critic, and “Modernist,” 
hold it up to ridicule; but God assures us in His 


Word,— 





MARTIN LUTHER TRANSLATING 
THE BIBLE 


With him are Melanchthon, Pomerames and 
Cruciger. 


“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, 
having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His.” 
—2-Timothy 2:19, 

There is no literature in the world, which has 
survived a few centuries, standing on as firm a foot- 
ing as the Bible. It is the oldest book in the world. 
Ungodly and designing men have opposed it in every 
age. The kings of earth have sought to blot it out 
of existence. It has been ruthlessly handled by its 
arch-enemies, skeptics, infidels, atheists, higher crit- 
ics, rationalists, ““Modernists,” and others. It has 


16 











THE BIBLE 


been publicly burned in the streets and squares of 
cities. Its teachers and translators have been tor- 
tured and slaughtered. Men and demons have sought 
to destroy it from the face of the earth, and at last 
it was crucified, like our Saviour, its Author, in the 
house of its friends. Pulpit and press have been 
arrayed against it; infidel France endeavored to kill 
it, and was prepared for its burial, but after the lapse 
of centuries, it is the liveliest as well as the best sell- 
ing book the world has ever seen. 


The blaze of its glory has encircled the’earth, and 
today it is translated into almost every tongue under 
heaven, and more Bibles have been circulated than 
perhaps any other thousand books combined. In its 
own beautiful language, it taunts its cruel mockers, 
by saying—(If I may be, permitted to change the 
tense of Isaiah 54:17). 


“No weapon that has been forged against it has pros- 
pered and every tongue that has arisen against it in 
judgment has been condemned.” 


Not many years ago the Revised Version of the 
New Testament was finished; was ready for printing 
—hundreds of dollars were offered for advance cop- 
ies; and the late Mr. Hastings, of Boston, is authority 
for the statement that—‘“The morning it was pub- 
lished, the streets of New York were blockaded with 
express wagons backed up and waiting for copies of 
that book. Muillions of copies were sold as fast as 
they could be delivered. They telegraphed that book 
from, the first of Matthew to the end of Romans, from 
New York to Chicago, about 118,000 words, the long- 
est message ever wired—for the purpose of getting it 
there twenty-four hours sooner than steam could 
carry it, to print in the Sunday newspapers.” 


All of which proves that the Bible is believed and 


17 





THE BIBLE 





treasured as no word of man has ever been, and that, 
notwithstanding the infinitesimal pigmies who under 
the assumed names of ‘“Modernists” and “Higher 
Critics” declare that it is a mark of scholarship to 
deny the inerrancy and inspiration of God’s Word. 


We have moralists by the score; authors by the 
thousands; histories are plentiful; poets and apolo- 
gists without number—Why then this noise and shout- 
ing over the publication of a new revision of the New 
Testament Scriptures? Ah, friends, because it is 
God’s Book to mortal man. A Book of morals, poetry, 


history and science, that has back of it a “thus saith 
the Lord.” 


WHY CHRIST. DID: NOT WRITE. 


‘[ HE late Col. Ingersoll said, in his lecture on, 

“What Must We Do To Be Saved?’: 

“Christ never wrote a word of the New Testament— 
not a solitary word, ... And it has always seemed to me 
that a being coming from another world with a message 
of infinite importance to mankind, should at least have 
verified that message by his own signature. Why was 
nothing written?” 

It is necessary first of all to answer this infidel 
cavil, “that Christ did not leave any written word,” 
but left the record of His life to “the memory of fal- 
lible men”; at the same time it is well to remember 
that Christ Himself answered this argument better 
than we possibly could. Autobiographies are the work 
of men who seek fame, glory, and honor, of men, and 
are not always trustworthy, owing to the fact that few, 
if any, will put any other than the best into their 
autobiographies, and will conceal the bad. Christ 
said: 

“He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory.” 
—John 7:18. 


18 


THE BIBLE 





If Jesus had written a history of his own life on 
earth, infidels and skeptics would have raved worse 
than they do today, and would have said truthfully— 
“self praise is poor recommendation,’ and consequent- 
ly would have rejected His every word, as on a par 
with poor weak human nature, which extols its vir- 
tues and conceals its weaknesses. 


The force of the doctrine of Christ, hinges on the 
‘fact that He DID NOT write His life history Himself, 
but left it to others, whom God inspired by His Spirit. 
He said: 

If any man will do his will, he shall know of the 
doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak of 
myself.”—John 7:17. 


While there is no record that Jesus ever wrote a 
line concerning Himself, or of His work, there is a 
record of His writing on the ground. The occasion 
was when the Scribes and Pharisees brought to Him 
a woman taken in adultery, saying: 

“Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such 
should be stoned: but what sayest thou?” 

Jesus knew that these scribes and Pharisees were 
doing this to tempt and entrap Him, so that they 
might accuse Him, and He knew too, that the poor, 
sinful woman was no worse than the proud boastful 
scribes and Pharisees who were accusing her; there- 
fore it is written: 

“But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote 
on the ground.” 


“So when they continued asking Him, He lifted up 
Himself, and said unto them, ‘He that is without sin 
among you, let him first cast a stone at her’.” 


“And again He stooped down and wrote on the 
ground.” 
_ What Jesus wrote on the ground brought convic- 
tion to the consciences of the woman’s accusers, and 


19 


wae 


THE BIBLE 





one by one they left. Now the question might arise— 
What did Jesus write on the ground? Every person 
who reads the record can plainly see that He wrote 
the sins of those proud scribes and Pharisees, and it 
was this that drove them from Him. 

The lesson is just this; that He writes our sins 
upon the sand, so that the tide of His love may wash 
them away into everlasting forgetfulness, while with 
His own precious finger He writes the law of His 
love upon the fleshly tables of our hearts. Precious 
Saviour. 


WITNESSING TO CHRIST’S WORK 
Christ said: 


“There is another that beareth witness of me and I 
know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. 

“Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness of the truth. 

“But I receive not testimony from man; but these 
things I say that ye might be saved. 

“He was a burning and a shining light; and ye were 
willing for a season to rejoice in his light. 

“But I have greater witness than that of John, for the 
works which the Father hath given me to finish, the 
same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father 
hath sent me. 


“The Father Himself, which hath sent me, hath borne 
witness of me.”—John 5 :32-37. 

It was the mission of John the Baptist to testify 
of Christ. He was “the voice of one crying in the 
wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord.”: 

“John answered them saying, I baptize with water: but 
there standeth one among you, whom ye know not. 


“He it is who coming after me is preferred before me, 
setae shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.”—John 

“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him and 
saith, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin 
of the world.”—John 1:29. 

“And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of 
God.”—John 1:34. 


20 


THE BIBLE 


Then at the baptism of Jesus, God Himself bare 
record, when the Spirit, like a dove, lighted on Him, 
and the voice from Heaven spake, saying—‘This is 
my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”—Matt. 
3:17; and again, on the mount of transfiguration, that 
same voice said once more, “This is my beloved Son, 


in Whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him.’—Maitt. 
P75, 


Peter, in one of his epistles, refers to this scene 
thus: 


“For we have not followed cunningly devised fables 
when we made known unto you the power and coming 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of His 
majesty. 


“For he received from God the Father honor and glory 
when there came such a voice to him from the excellent 
glory—This is my beloved son in whom I am well-pleased. 


“And this voice which came from heaven we heard when 
we were with him in the holy mount.”—2-Peter 1:16-18. 


Thus, “He left not himself without witness.” No- 
thing, in Christ’s dwelling among men, was done in 
the dark, but in the presence of multitudes who fol- 
lowed Him and drank in His every word. Those who 
rejected Him and sought to destroy Him, were con- 
stantly watching His work and listening for some 
word, to accuse Him; but in their desperation they 
were at last led to exclaim: 


“What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. If 
we let Him thus alone, all men will believe on Him.”— 
John 11 :47-48. 


Previous to this, the chief priests and Pharisees 
had sent officers to take Him and these officers, after 
having seen and heard Jesus, returned empty-handed, 
saying: 


“Never man spake like this man.”—John 7:46. 
21 


THE BIBLE 





CHRIST CAME IN AN AGE OF LEARNING 


VERY remarkable fact is that Christ came to 

this world in a most enlightened age, when 
Judaism had reached its highest state of education and 
knowledge as far as the affairs of this world go. 
Greece and Rome were at the pinnacle of their glory 
in learning. Philosophers, students of ethical culture, 
logicians and religious critics were in evidence in 
Athens and Rome and their followers were scattered 
everywhere throughout the Roman Empire. Discus- 
sion was the order of the day. Paul expressed it 
thus: 

“For all the Athenians and strangers which were there, 
spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to 
hear some new thing.”—Acis 17:21. 

The very age in which Christ came, seemed to be 
prepared for that event. From the death of Julius 
Caesar, B. C. 44, to the beginning of the second cen- 
tury, was the real hey-day of heathen learning, and 
men were in evidence everywhere who seemed to ex- 
cel in their particular branches. Cicero, the great 
orator and philosopher, died in the year B. C. 43. 
Sallus, the historian, lived to the year B. C. 34; Strabo, 
the Greek geographer, died in B. C. 21; Virgil, the 
most celebrated Latin poet, was still alive 16 years 
before Christ was born; Horace, the Latin poet and 
satirist, lived to within five years of Christ’s birth; 
Livy, the great essayist and philosopher, lived con- 
temporary with Christ for twenty years; Ovid the 
poet and scholar, who had known Horace, lived to the 
year A. D. 18; Philo, the scholarly Jew, who could 
stand before the Roman senate and plead the cause of 
his Alexandrian brethren, was born B. C. 25, and 
lived during the entire life of Christ on earth. 


Following these came Josephus, the greatest Jewish 
historian who ever lived, who was born only six years 


22 





EO VO CCU) 


THE BIBLE 





after the crucifixion; Plutarch, the great biographer, 
moralist and essayist, born fifteen years after the 
crucifixion and who lived to the year A. D. 120; and 
Tacitus, the Roman historian, who was born A. D. 54. 


Then there were 
Pliny the elder, 
historian and au- 
thor, born, A. D. 
ah cpp Roed RG es an a bo 
younger, the bril- 
liant lawyer and 
writer, who was 
born A. D. 61, and 
scores of others, 
regarded even to 
the present time as 
intellectual giants. 
Many of these, no 
doubt, knew about 
Christ’s work. 


Christ came in 
an age of learning; 
in a time that pro- 
duced great histori- 
ans, moralists, phil- 
osophers and poets, FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS 
some of whose 
works, even to this 
day are considered great classics, and are taught in 
our schools and colleges. 





That the doctrines taught by Christ should over- 
spread the whole Greek and Roman world in ‘the face 
of such scholarship, and amid the heathen prejudice, 
and persecution of the times, IS A MARVEL BOR- 
DERING ON THE MIRACULOUS. The Christian 


23 


THE BIBLE 


has absolutely nothing to fear. His stakes were well 
set by the Master and will remain while time lasts. 


THE DISCIPLES COMMISSIONED TO WRITE 


NTICIPATING the fact that the Gospel would 
be written by those who had been with Him and 
had observed His life, seen His miracles, heard His 
teaching, witnessed His agony in the garden, His 
arrest, trial persecution, and finally, His death and 
glorious resurrection to endless life; He said to the 
disciples, after promising them the Holy Spirit’s aid: 
“And ye also shall bear witness because ye have been 
with me from the beginning.”—John 15:27. 
The unity and harmony of the four Gospels, writ- 
ten by four of His disciples, bear eloquent testimony 
to the truth of that statement. 


QUALIFICATIONS OF GOSPEL WRITERS 
HE men who wrote the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, 


Luke and John, were individuals who knew Jesus ~ 


and His work; eyewitnesses of the scenes and events 
recorded by them. Luke, at the beginning of his 
Gospel, and as a reason for writing, makes the state- 
ment: 

“Us which from the beginning were eye-witnesses, and 
ministers of the word.”—Luke 1:2. 

John emphasized his qualifications for writing, in 
these words: 

“That which was from the beginning, which we have 
heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have 
looked upon, and our hands have handled.’—1-John Hig (> 

Thus, sight, hearing and touch are appealed to, and 
all three of these senses were exercised. They knew 
Him and saw His work. They heard His wonderful 
teaching, and His presence was with them continually 
during His earthly ministry. 

24 


OE  —— ee”, LmLdmL lL ———_ 


THE BIBLE 





MATTHEW 


ET us carefully consider the four Gospel writers 
fora moment. Matthew, who was the same per- 
son called Levi, son of Alpheus, (compare Matthew 
9:9 and Mark 2:14) was a tax gatherer and was 
called by Christ as he sat in the custom house. He 
was with Jesus to the end and wrote his Gospel, in 
Hebrew, about A. D. 41, eight years after the ascen- 
sion. It was translated into Greek about A. D. 61. 
This Gospel was especially written for the Jews. In 
it appears the genealogy of Christ, tracing His line of 
descent from Abraham; also the genealogy of Joseph 
the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus. 


MARK 


ARK, the writer of the second Gospel, was known 

as John Mark, son of a pious woman named 
Mary. The disciples frequently met at her house, and 
it was there Peter went after his miraculous deliver- 
ance from prison. He (Mark) was a nephew of 
Barnabas, and a fellow laborer with Paul-and Barna- 
bas. He traveled with them from Jerusalem to Anti- 
och (Acts 12:25); departed from them at Perga, in 
Pamphelia, and returned to Jerusalem (Acts 13:5-13) ; 
afterwards he wished to go again with Paul and 
Barnabas, but Paul declined to take him along, on 
account of his having previously left them. He then 
accompanied his uncle, Barnabas, to Cyprus (Acts 
15 :36-41). Paul and Mark were later fully reconciled 
—(2-Timothy 4:11—Philemon 1:24). In Col. 4:10, 
Paul recommended him to the Church at Colosse. 


Mark’s Gospel was written in Greek, for- the 
Gentiles at Rome; therefore he omits the genealogy of 
Christ, as this was not useful to any but the Jews, 
to whom it was of utmost importance for comparison 
with their prophecies regarding the Messiah. 


25 


THE BIBLE 


LUKE 


UKE, who was either a Jew by birth, or a Gentile 

convert to Judaism before he heard of Christ, was 
by profession, a physician (Col. 4:14). He was prob- 
ably one of the disciples Jesus met on His way to 
Emmaus, after His resurrection. Luke names one of 
these and omits the other, from which fact this con- 
clusion is drawn (Luke 24:13-25). 


Luke wrote about fifteen years after the ascension 
of Christ. There are different opinions as to whether 
Luke wrote what he himself, saw and heard, some 
supposing that he derived his knowledge of the gospel 
from Paul; others that Luke was merely an amanu- 
ensis for that apostle. To these positions one may 
logically object (1st.) because Paul, in writing to 
Timothy (1-Tim. 5:18), quotes as “Scripture,” a pas- 
sage from Luke 10:7 which passage appears nowhere 


else between the covers of the Bible. (2nd.) Because 


Luke tells us that he had knowledge of these things 
“from the first” (Luke 1:3). He alone goes into de- 
tail, by saying that they gave Christ “broiled fish and 
honeycomb” after His resurrection, (this is not men- 
tioned by the others), which indicates he must have 
been there (Luke 24:42). From these facts, it 
appears certain that he was with Christ and wrote 
what he saw and heard. Luke also wrote the Acts 
of the Apostles. Compare Acts 1:1 with Luke 1:1-3. 


JOHN 


OHN was the son of the fisherman, Zebedee, and his 
wife, Salome. He was himself a fisherman, and 
with his brother James, was called from the nets to 
become a fisher of men. (See Matt. 4:21-22 and 
Mark 1:9,20 and Luke 5:1-10). He was about 25 
years old when called, and was with Christ from the 
first (1-John 1:1). He was the disciple whom Christ 


26 


er ee, a Zz 


_x”hUC CUCU Oe re ee 


THE BIBLE 


loved for his constancy. John was with Christ at 
the transfiguration, the agony in the garden, and at 
the crucifixion (John 19:26 & 35). He was one of the 
first at the sepulchre, the morning after the resurrec- 
tion, and saw Jesus alive that same day, as also eight 
days after (John 20:19-29). 

John was also the author of the three epistles that 
bear his name, as well as the book of Revelation. He 
wrote his Gospel A. D. 68 or 70. In the year A. D. 
95 he was banished from Ephesus; was later cast into 
a caldron of boiling oil, and after his miraculous de- 
liverance from death, was banished to the Isle of 
Patmos in the A‘gean sea, where he wrote the Apoc- 
alypse (Revelation) in A. D. 96. 

John lived to a good old age—the last one of those 
who knew the Lord Jesus. He was probably 100 years 
old when he died, and lived from 4 to 14 years in the 
second century. His Gospel was written in Greek. 

How eminently well qualified these companions of 
Jesus were to write what they did, we will leave to 
the judgment of our readers. 


AN INFIDEL QUESTION ANSWERED 


THE statement has frequently been made by infidels, 
— ~ that the titles of the Gospels indicate that they were 
written after these writers were dead; that they are 
not called the Gospel OF Matthew, Mark, Luke and 
John, but the Gospel ACCORDING to Matthew, and 
Gospel ACCORDING to Mark, Luke and John. 
Ingersoll said: 

“This new Testament was not written for hundreds of 
years after the apostles were dust. The facts lived in the 
open mouth of credulity ... They depended upon the 
inaccuracy of legend.” 

These titles were, of course, the work of others 
besides the writers, and were given to distinguish the 
different books, but might have truthfully been writ- 
ten by the writers of the originals without doing vio- 


24 


, ene oe PL ae 


THE BIBLE 





lence to the fact that these Gospels are the work of 
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. 


They ARE truly, the Gospel ACCORDING to 
these writers. It was not their Gospel they were each 
writing of, or there would have been four gospels; 
but there is only ONE, and that is the Gospel of 
Christ Jesus, and it is Christ’s Gospel ACCORDING 
to these different writers. Paul uses the term “my 
gospel,” but that he refers to the Gospel of Christ is 
shown by his remark that he preached nothing but 
Christ, and received it “by the revelation of Jesus 
Christ, "See Gals til 2. 


Another fact that stands out plainly here, is that 
each of these books closes without any reference to 
the death of its author, and the matter of their deaths 
is left to subsequent writers; hence the conclusion, 
and the only logical conclusion, that they must have 
been written by the men whose names they bear; for 
if written after their decease, by subsequent writers, 
they most surely would have recorded the facts con- 
nected with the death of these men. The only death 
of an apostle mentioned in the New Testament is that 
of James, in Acts 12:2, written by Luke. 


The same applies to Paul’s writings. Luke, in the 
Book of Acts, leaves him a prisoner in his own hired 
house at Rome; and Paul, himself, writing from 
Rome says: 


“So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the 
palace, and in all other places.—Phil. 1:13. 


Writing still further of his intention to send Tim- 
othy to them, he adds: 


“Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as 
I shall see how it will go with me”’—Phil. 2:23. 

And finally, writing to Timothy himself, he has 
heard that his execution is near at hand, and leaves 
us with these pathetic words: 

“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of 
my departure is at hand.—2-Timothy 4:6. 


28 


THE BIBLE 


That is the last we hear of him, in his writings. 
No record of his death; not a word. Hence the 
conclusion—If Paul’s epistles had been written by 
later writers, or even by his closest friends, they 
would have recorded his death; but no, they were 
written by Paul, himself. 

Now, lest the skeptic interpose the objection that 
Moses is said to have written of his death and burial, 
I might say that the Jews wrote their books without 
chapters, in the form of rolls, the first word indicat- 
ing the beginning of a book, and some careless tran- 
scriber, copying the original, probably copied the be- 
ginning of Joshua into Deuteronomy, through mis- 
take. Nearly all Bible expositors believe this. Aside 
from any other speculation as to the record of the 
death of Moses in the book of Deuteronomy, it should 
always be remembered that Moses was a prophet, yea, 
more than a prophet, for with him God spake face 
to face; and it is quite possible that the man to whom 
God showed all the events recorded in the book of 
Genesis, from Creation down, and who uttered such 
wonderful prophecies of the coming Messiah, could 
also prophetically record his own death and the events 
that followed, in the book of Deuteronomy. Moses 
might have written prophetically of his own death, 
just as Joseph spoke of the carrying out of Egypt. 
of his remains, many years before the event. 


4 
\ 


PAUECANDSITISsE BI SiES 


HE fourteen epistles, Romans to Hebrews inclu- 

sive, were written by Paul. As to Paul, it is 
enough to say that he was preeminently a scholar and 
logician, and was equally at home among the dog- 
matic Jews, or at Athens, the seat of Greek philosophy, 
science, learning, art, and poetry. 


29 





THE BIBLE 





Saul (afterwards called Paul) was born in the 
city of Tarsus, in Cilicia. His parents were Jewish, 
although citizens of the Roman Empire. He received 
much of his education in Jerusalem, under Gamaliel, 
and became the proud Pharisee and enemy of the 
Christian cause; a persecutor, honest, though blinded 
by prejudice. The story of his conversion; of how he 
was arrested by the voice of Christ, stricken blind, 
and finally, after having his sight restored, became one 
of the most zealous for the cause of Christianity, may 
be read in the book of Acts. 


The Gospel preached by Paul, was not received 
by him from man, but by revelation of Jesus Christ 
(see Galatians 1st chap.). A chosen vessel of the 
Lord, to bear His name to the Gentiles, Paul could 
stand before the so-called philosophers of his day, 
in the then seats of learning, Athens, and Rome, in 
times still referred to by infidels and skeptics, as days 
of knowledge, philosophy and wisdom, and facing 
these philosophers and scholars, could quote their 
poets, defending his position, saying— 

“I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.” 
—Acts 17:22. 

Paul’s epistles speak for themselves. They an- 
swer the arguments of Jews and Gentiles, and clarify 
the relation of the Law and the Gospel; making 
liberty his platform, and justification by faith, his 
hope; fully confirming the words of Christ and the 
Gospel writers. 


THE EPISTLE TO, THE HEBREWS 
F HE book of Hebrews is sometimes ascribed to a 
later date than when Paul lived. Paul wrote in 
A. D. 60 to 65. Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus and 
the Roman army, A..D. 70, about four or five years 
after Paul’s death. The temple was completely de- 
stroyed. | 


30 


THE BIBLE 





Thus we KNOW that the Book of Hebrews must 
have been written before that event, for when Heb- 
rews was written the temple was still standing and 
its service still going on. Read Hebrews, from the 
seventh chapter on, and you will find reference to the 
priestly service, sacrificial offerings, and sundry other 
-matters pertaining to the temple, spoken of im the 
present tense. 


The Bible is its own best defender. 


PETER 


ETER was the son of Jonas; called from his fish- 
ing to follow Christ. He was one of the three 
closest to the Master at all times. - His impetuous 
nature often brought him grief and sorrow, but the 
Peter we behold after Pentecost was a different 
character; a man of faith and integrity. His name 
appears so often in the Gospels that it is needless to 
say much here. 
When Jesus was at Capernaum, He no doubt made 
Peter’s home His place of abode; (compare Luke 4:38 


with Mark 1:29), and there it was the people resorted 
to Him. 


Peter’s epistles were early received by the Apos- 
tolic Churches as Holy Scripture and as part of the 
book we call the Bible. 


JAMES AND JUDE 

AMES and Jude were Apostles, brothers of Jesus, 
children of Joseph and Mary and born after Jesus. 
We have no sympathy with the view that they were 
sons of Joseph by a former marriage. Protestant 
Christians, do not exalt Mary above Christ and do 
not accept the Catholic doctrine concerning the Virgin 

Mary, as being “always a virgin.” 


The very phraseology of Matt. 1:24,25, shows that 
31 


THE BIBLE 





after the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary lived. the 
ordinary married life, for thus it is written: 

“Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the Angel 
of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 

“And knew her not TILL she had brought forth her 
FIRSTBORN Son: and he called His name Jesus.” 

Thus about forty years after the birth of Jesus, 
Matthew called Him Mary’s “FIRSTBORN.” If 
Mary had no other children after this, He would not 
have been thus designated, and would not only have 
been her “firstborn” but her only child. Again he says 
“Joseph know her not TILL she had brought forth her 
firstborn.” The only correct assumption is that they 
lived in the true marriage state after the birth of 
Jesus, and it was after Jesus’ birth that the others 
were born. To assume otherwise would be to destroy 
the genius of our language and the original as well. 
We prefer to believe Matthew. 


These men (James and Jude) like all other Bible 
writers, were eminently well qualified for their work, 


and their writings were accepted without question. 
( 


PROMISE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 


apne events in the life of Christ, and His teachings, 

were not left to the fallible memory of man, and 
no matter how well qualified they were, Christ told 
them that they would receive the Holy Spirit, which 
was God’s means of guarding them against errors and 
mistakes, and would serve better than their memories. 

“But the comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the 
Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, 
and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever 
I have said unto you.”—John 14:26. 

Fortified thus, we have more than man’s word in 
their writings. We have the Word of the Living God, 
as says the Scripture: 

“Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the 
Holy Ghost.”—2-Peter 1:21. 


32 


THE BIBLE 





AN INFIDEL MISFIT 


A* before stated, the Bible is with us, and with us 
to stay. Now how did it come to us? First let 

us quote what that skeptical deist, Thomas Paine, 

said: | 


“These books, beginning with Genesis and ending with 
Revelation ... are, we are told, the word of God. It is 
therefore proper for us to know who told us so, that we 
may know what credit to give the report. The answer 
to this question is that nobody can tell. The case, how- 
ever, historically appears to be as follows: When the 
church mythologists established their system, they col- 
lected all the writings they could find and managed them 
as they pleased. It is a matter altogether of uncertainty 
as to whether such of the writings as now appear under 
the name of the Old and New Testaments, are in the same 
state in which those collectors say they found them, or 
whether they added, altered, abridged, or dressed them up. 


Be this as it may, they decided by vote which of the 
books out of the collection they had made should be the 
word of God, and which should not. They rejected sev- 
eral; they voted others to be doubtful, such as the books 
called the Apocrypha; and those books which had a ma- 
jority of the votes were voted to be the word of God.’— 
Paine’s “Age of Reason” Pages 16-17. 


It is a very common thing to read in infidel litera- 
ture, the statement that the Council of Nice, 325 A. D., 
compiled the New Testament Scriptures from among 
a great mass of so-called Gospels and epistles, some 
genuine, some spurious, and from known and un- 
known sources. Not being able to determine which 
were spurious and which genuine, they laid them all 
at one side, and after prayer, voted on the different 
documents, until they had selected the books found 
in our New Testament. 


This story has gone the rounds, until we find it, 
not only in their literature, but hear it from every 
infidel platform, and from the infidel misfits and soap 


33 


THE BIBLE 





box critics in public squares. Some so-called Chris- 
tians, (including so-called “liberals” and “Modern- 
ists”) take up this infidel lie and actually believe it, 
and thus the story gains credence until we find men 
all at sea on the question. 


In all seriousness we might ask these doubters and 
infidels—Who told you so? and answer that question 
by saying they lack knowledge of history and fact. 


This idea of the forming of the canon of Scrip- 
ture, originated with John Pappus, a minister of 
Strasburg, and professor of Munster, who died a few 
years after the beginning of the seventeenth century. 
He claimed to take his discovery from an old Greek 
manuscript, written in the dark ages (about 900 A. 
D.), no doubt the work of some old, apologetic faker. 


As drowning men grasp at straws, it was taken 
up by eighteenth century infidels and skeptics, such as 
Voltaire and Paine; also by the biased mind of Gib- 
bon, the infidel writer of “Decline and Fall of the 
‘Roman Empire,’ notorious for his flagrant and un- 
just distortions of the history of early Christianity, 
and by no means a reliable historian—a man who 
was elevated to parliament in England; was paid a 
salary of $3500 to $4000 in a board of trade, which 
public indignation abolished, and who in a brazen 
manner, speaks of his disgrace as the “impairing of 
my personal freedom,” another way (some say) of 
telling of his having taken a bribe for his vote. 


How can we trust such a man to give us accurate 
history? Milman, in his preface to Gibbon’s History, 
warns against his perfidy and prejudice, by saying: 

“We may deplore the bias of his mind; we may our- 
selves be on our guard against the danger of being mis- 


led, and be anxious to warn less wary readers against the 
same peril.”—Page 10 


34 


TB L-BiLE 


EVIDENCE OF TIME AND- ETERNAL 
FITNESS 


E can do no better under this heading than to _ 
quote the words of Dr. B. B. Loomis, written 
almost forty years ago. He said: 


“The Bible has stood the test of time. Time 
tests all things. Beneath its gnawing tooth rocks 
dissolve, works of art decay and human forms bow 
low in death. Under its imperious sway the con- 
formation of the solid globe is continually chang- 
ing, the nations of the earth are waxing and waning 
and all human institutions are kept in perpetual un- 
rest and agitation; and yet amidst all these com- 
motions of the ages God’s Word remains, like Him- 
self, unchanged, unchangeable. 


“Not to go back to the oldest portions of this 
volume, which are contemporaneous with the be- 
ginnings of human literature, since the sacred 
canon closed how many and how vast are the 
changes which have gone on among men. Hardly 
one of the ancient powers is today extant. Not one 
of the present great and influential nations of the 
earth had then a being or a name. 


“America was undiscovered; England was in- 
habited by a race of half-naked savages, practising 
the bloody rites of the Druidical religion; France 
was ancient Gaul, an outlying province of the great 
Roman empire, and Germany, scholarly Germany 
was the home of barbarous tribes, worshipping 
Odin and Thor in the deep recesses of their gloomy 
forests. 1 

“Now while these great nations have been com- 
ing to the front, how rapid and how great have 
been the strides of human progress. As the troubled 
sea casts up not only mire and dirt, but also its 
buried treasures, goodly pearls, and wondrous 


35 


THE BIBLE 





shells, and sparkling jewels, so have the agitations 
and commotions of the ages brought to light great 
discoveries, marvellous inventions, priceless helps 
to man in working out his highest destiny; and so 
rapid and so vast have been the steps of human 
progress along these ages, that again and again 
have scientific theories been remodelled, schemes 
of philosophy recast, human laws amended, re- 
pealed and re-enacted to meet the changed condi- 
tion and varying circumstances of mankind, and 
yet amidst all this, the science of salvation, as 
taught in the Holy Bible, has needed no remodel- 
ling; the philosophy of the plan of salvation is the 
same today as in the time of Paul—to the unitarian 
Jews a stumbling block, to the skeptical Greeks 
foolishness, but the power and the wisdom of God 
to every one that believeth; while the laws of the 
Bible are still that supreme “higher law” of which 
all just human laws are either exact copies or more 
or less perfect imitations. The Book stands the 
test of time; the race does not outgrow the religion 
of the Bible. 


“As a somewhat significant illustration of the 
widely differing effects of passing time upon God’s 
Book and man’s works let us compare these in the 
case of the Bible and the poems of Homer. This 
comparison is the more just for two or three rea- 
sons. First, the two works are in a certain sense 
contemporaneous, for the psalmist king wrote his 
immortal odes not far from the time when Homer 
sang his wondrous songs in the Greek cities. Sec- 
ondly critics have denied to the Bible any higher 
inspiration than that of human genius; and thirdly, 
Greek poetry held among that ancient people very 
much the same place as did the sacred Scriptures 
among the Jews; its maxims were accepted as the 
rule of life, and the examples of its heroes held up 


36 


THE BIBLE 





as worthy of imitation. Hence we find Paul on 
Mars Hill quoting not from the Hebrew prophet, 
but from an acknowledged authority with an Athe- 
nian audience, their ‘own poets, to prove that 
men are the offspring of God and that consequently 
the Godhead ought not to be likened to “gold or 
silver or stone graven by art or man’s device.” 


“Three thousand years ago the two works stood 
before the world on a comparative equality. But 
how stands the case today? Homer is read to be 
sure in every academic course, but why? As a 
model of epic verse, as a specimen of old Ionic 
Greek, as illustrative of manners and customs in 
that far-distant land and age—but as a rule of life? 
never; aS a standard of /human duty? never,.The 
race has altogether outgrown Homer as an ethical 
standard. 


“But the Bible! Never before was it so widely 
read, never so highly prized, never so generally 
obeyed. It stands the test of time. It proves itself 
a transcript of the eternal. 

“Secondly, this Book has stood the test of cri- 
ticism—a criticism by no means superficial, but the 
most searching and severe to which any work was 
ever subjected; a criticism not always friendly, but 
much of it bitterly hostile; a criticism not even 
impartial and candid, but often coming to its ex- 
amination, not to discover the truth, but to sustain 
foregone conclusions inimical to its authority. And 
vet, out from this severe, hostile and unfair ordeal 
the old Book has come as the pure gold comes 
from the assayer’s crucible, only shining the 
brighter for the fiery tests to which it has been 
subjected. The fiercest onsets of its foes have only 
enabled its friends the more triumphantly to vin- 
dicate its claims, and instances are not wanting 
where men who sat down to its examination avow- 


37 


THE BIBLE 





ed enemies, seeking only food for skepticism have 
found that which they did not seek, even the bread 
of eternal life; and those who purposed to write 
against the Book ridiculing its pretensions and 
denying its authority, have been compelled as hon- 
est men to admit their deep conviction that the 
Bible is God’s own Book. A little more than one 
hundred years since, two English gentlemen, both 
of skeptical tendencies, Lord George Lyttleton and 
Mr. Gilbert West, agreed together that they would 
each select one of the improbable stories of the 
Bible and show their untrustworthiness. 


“Lord Lyttleton chose as his topic the story of 
Paul’s conversion, but as he studied the facts pre- 
paratory to writing his treatise, the same Jesus 
met him “in the way,’ and a light such as he had 
never before seen shone into his heart, and he 
finally wrote his book for, not against Christianity, 
and his “Observations on the Conversion and 
Apostleship of St. Paul,’ it has been said by a 
high authority, “constitutes of itself a demon- 
stration sufficient to prove Christianity a divine 
revelation.” 

“Mr. West selected the record of Christ’s resur- 
rection, and his studies resulted in a similar out- 
come. The well attested facts carried conviction 
to his mind and he, too, became a believer in and 
defender of the faith of the Gospel. 


“Thus invulnerable 1s this Book to the onsets of 
destructive criticism, and it is a marvellous fact, 
showing not only its intrinsic truthfulness, but also 
God’s watchful care over it during all the ages, 
that the critical labors expended upon it by both 
friends and foes, correcting the various readings, 
rejecting interpolations, etc., down to the very last 
revision, have failed to change one single doctrine 
or fundamental truth, and the old Book teaches 


38 


THE BIBLE 





today just what it has always taught on all the 
great questions of human duty ‘and destiny of 
which it speaks. 


“The French infidel Voltaire boasted that 
though it took twelve men to set up the Christian 
religion, he single-handed and alone would pull it 
down; but the poor man could not prevent his 
room in Geneva from being used after his death 
as a Bible depository, for the distribution of the 
Book he hated. The apostate Roman .emperor 
Julian, after having tried in vain to crush Chris- 
tianity with his great power, died at last crying 
out, “O Galilean, Thou hast conquered’; so at the 
last shall all the enemies of the Bible be covered 
with shame and confusion of face, while this Book 
shall stand, the guide and comforter of sorrowing 
men through all time, and the saints’ eternal title- 
deed-to His glorious mansion on high.” 


NEW TESTAMENT EVIDENCE 


OW what are the facts? ‘The entire Bible, New 
Testament included, was accepted by Christians 
before the beginning of the second century, while 
some of the Apostles and their converts were still 
living. We have in the New Testament itself, all 
the evidence we require, but we shall give more. 
The Apostle Paul, in his letter to Timothy, quotes 
two passages, one from the Old Testament: 
“Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the 
corn.”—Deut. 25:4. 
and another from the New Testament — 
“The laborer is worthy of his hire.”-—-Luke 10:7. 
Now note that Paul takes these two texts, one 
found in the Old Testament and the other found 
only in St. Luke’s Gospel, and nowhere else, joins 
them, and places BOTH on the same basis, as Scrip- 
ture, as follows: 
“For the Scripture saith—Thou shalt not muzzle the 


39 


THE BIBLE 





EARLY CHRISTIANS WORSHIPPING IN THE CATACOMBS 


THE BIBLE 





ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The laborer is worthy 
of his reward.’—1-T7Tim. 5:18. 


Is it not clear from this, that when Paul wrote 
his epistle to Timothy, about A. D. 65, the book of 
Luke was already regarded as Scripture, and of equal 
standing with the Old Testament? 

Now with one more stroke let us show that all 
the epistles of Paul, from \/tomans to Hebrews inclu- 
sive, fourteen books out of twenty-seven of the whole 
New Testament, were received as SCRIPTURE, and 
equal to the Old Testament, long before the death of 
the Apostle Peter. 

“Even as our beloved brother Paul also according to 
the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as 
also in all his epistles, speaking in them of things which 
are hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned 
and unstable wrest, as they do also the OTHER SCRIP- 
TURES—2-Peter, 3:15-16. 

Pius ele sin, wear Ar WOO) only. slew years 
after Christ’s ascension, places the seal of his apostle- 
ship on Paul’s entire contribution to the New Testa- 
ment; calls it all Scripture as he does the Old Testa- 
ment; and shows indeed, that 35 years after Christ 
left the earth, nearly, if not all of the New Testament, 
except Revelation, which was written about A. D. 96, 
was received on a par with that Scripture (The Old 
Testament) which Timothy learned in his childhood 
days. 

Paul, writing to him said. 

“That from a child thou hast known the Holy Scrip- 
tures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation 
through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”—2-Tim. 3:15. 

The book of Revelation was accepted, as were the 
others, shortly after it was written. 


CLEMENT OF ROME 
New a little historical evidence may help us to 
appreciate the foregoing. Let us first notice the 
letters. of Clement of Rome, to the Church of Corinth. 
Clement lived contemporary with some of the Apostles. 


Al 


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~~ SIMPLICITY OF MANNER OF WORSHIP 
BY EARLY CHRISTIANS 


Some forms and ceremonies with their accompanying pomp 
and display, seen in present day churches were entirely un- 
known in the worship of the early Christians; while yet other 
customs and practices observed now were known to the early 
churches as being wholly pagan in origin, and were not a part 
of their worship or their religious customs. They accepted the 
Bible and like many today repudiated all else as a guide and 
foundation. 


42 | | 


THE BIBLE 


Paul names him as his fellow laborer, in Philippians 
4:3. He (Clement) lived in Rome when the beloved 
John lived in Ephesus. The epistles of Clement to the 
Corinthians have been translated into English and lie 
before me as I write. Knowing Paul, he must also 
have known the writings which we now call the New 
Testament, if they existed when he wrote, about A. D. 
75; and that he did is evidenced by the fact that he 
not only quotes copiously from the Old Testament, 
but also from the New. He names Peter, Luke, John 
and James; quotes from the Acts of the Apostles, 
from Jude, Titus, Timothy, Thessalonians, Romans, 
Corinthians, Hebrews, James and Peter. 


These letters of Clement, which have been pre- 
served to us, fully confirm the statement previously 
made, that BEFORE 100 A. D., the New and Old 
Testaments, with the possible exception of the Book 
of Revelation, were used in all the churches, just 
as we have them today, and no doubt the Book of 
Revelation was in circulation among the churches 
before 100 A. D. also. 


ee RN Ee 


OLYCARP, who was a friend of John, born A. 

D. 70, and who was martyred for his faith in 
Christ, about A. D. 156, by being burned to death, 
knew as did Clement, the writings composing the New 
Testament Scriptures. Polycarp wrote several letters 
to the churches, a translation of one of which lies 
before me. It is a beautiful document, well written, 
and full of truth. In it he speaks of the Gospels as 
“Oracles of God.” He quotes from Matthew, John, 
Paul and Peter. We find quotations also from Luke, 
Acts of the Apostles, Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, 
Ephesians, Colossians, Timothy and Titus. Polycarp 
was thirty years old in A. D. 100, and was twenty- 
six years old when John wrote the book of Revelation, 


43 


THE BIBLE 


the last book of the Bible. His life extended over 
half of the second century, until 156 A. D., when, at 
the age of 86, he was brutally martyred by the en- 
emies of Christ and the Bible. The Bible as we 


have it today, was complete and used in all 
the churches before this man was thirty 
years old; that is before too A. D., over 225 


years before the Council of Nice. 

Does the honest skeptic wish any better evidence 
than these two men, who lived before the end of the 
first century and were personally acquainted with 
some of the New Testament writers? 


PAPIAS 


OUND in the same volume with the Epistles of 
Clement and Polycarp, I have the translation of 

the fragments of the writings of Papias; who was 
born about A. D. 60. The “Introductory notes” to 
the fragments of Papias, say, and correctly so, that 
he was well acquainted with the Scriptures. 

Papias was bishop of the church in Hierapolis, 
which church Paul mentions in Colossians 4:13. He 
was a friend of Polycarp, and surely a hearer, if not 
a disciple of the apostle John. He also suffered mar- 
tyrdom. 

This man was born about 265 YEARS BE- 
FORE THE COUNCIL OF NICE, and he knew 
John and Andrew and the family of Philip, as well 
as the friends of the Apostles. 

This man quotes from the New Testament. He 
bears testimony to the inspiration of the Book of 
Revelation. He says Mark wrote a Gospel and “made 
no mistake.” He says Matthew also wrote “oracles” 
in Hebrew. 

The following paragraph is very illuminating. He 
says: 

“If, then, anyone who had attended on the Elders 

44 


THE BIBLE 





came, I asked minutely after their sayings,—what Andrew 
or Peter said, or what was said by Philip or Thomas, 
or by James, or by John, or by Matthew, or by any other 
of the Lord’s disciples: which things Aristan and the 
presbyter John, the disciples of the Lord say. For I 
imagined that what was to be got from BOOKS was not 
so profitable to me as what came from the living and 
abiding voice.” (Caps ours.) 

What an array of New Testament writers he 
mentions. And the “books” !—Can he refer to others 
than the books containing the words of those he men- 
tions? Of course, he means New Testament “books”. 
So we find Papias knew John and Andrew; also 
Philip’s daughters, personally, (Eusebius Eccl. Hist.). 
He refers to the “Oracles” of Mark and Matthew. 
He says Revelation is inspired. 

Moreover, he is said to have written of the “Mil- 
lennium,” mentioned ONLY in Revelation, the “re- 
surrection of the dead,” and Christ’s second coming. 
What amazing proofs that the New Testament was 
then in existence—before 100 A. D.—including even 
the Book of Revelation! 

Can any critic ask stronger proof? Three first 
century characters are here named who knew and 
used the New Testament, and quoted from it as the 
ios of God. O, the blindness, the dullness of un- 

elief! 


OTHER EARLY WRITERS 
ERTULLIAN, before A. D. 200, quotes more 


than 3,000 New Testament passages, and says: 

“If you are willing to exercise your curiosity profitably 

in the business of your salvation, visit the apostolic 

churches ... in them, their (the Apostles’) very authen- 

tic letters are recited, sounding forth the voice and rep- 

resenting the countenances of every one of them. Is 

Achaia near you? You have Corinth. If you are not far 

from Macedonia you have Philippi and Thessalonica; If 

you go to Asia you have Ephesus, but if you are near 
Italy, you have Rome.” Tertullian against Heretics, S. 36. 

Origen, over one hundred years before the Council 

of Nice, quoted more than 5,500 New Testament pas-' 


45 


THE BIBLE 





sages. He also wrote a Commentary on the book of 
Revelation. 

Indeed, all but a few passages of the entire New 
Testament are found in the letters of the early church 
writers, before the Council of Nice (325 A. D.), 
which have been handed down to us. Take the 
writings of the so-called early church Fathers; ignore 
if you wish their teachings; grant that their testi- 
mony in points of doctrine is worthless, because of the 
corrupt state of the church at the time, and that much 
that they wrote was false or interpolated, and still 
they are the undisputed works of the first two or three 
centuries and stand as history at least when they 
quote that which purports to have been written before 
their time, if such quotations are true to the then 
existing documents. Charles Leach, the author of the 
work entitled “Our Bible,” is authority for the fol- 
lowing: 

“Many years ago, says Thomas Cooper, a party of 
scholarly men met at a dinner party. During the conver- 
sation, some one put a question which no one present 
was able to answer: The question was this: 

‘Suppose that the New Testament had been destroyed 
and every copy of it lost by the end of third century, 
could it have been collected together again from the 
writings of the second and third centuries?’ 

“The question startled the company, but. all were silent. 
Two months afterward one of the company called upon 
Sir David Dalrymple, who had been present at the din- 
Beh: Pointing to a table covered with books, Sir David 
Salad: 

‘Look at those books. You remember the question 
about the New Testament and the fathers? That question 
roused my curiosity, and as I am possessed of all the 
existing works of the fathers of the second and third 
centuries, I COMMENCED TO SEARCH, AND UP TO 
THIS TIME, I HAVE FOUND THE ENTIRE NEW 
TESTAMENT, EXCEPT ELEVEN VERSES’,” 

The testimony thus far advanced weighs mightily 
in favor of the fact that the New Testament was 
known and used by the churches before the end of 


46 


THE BIBLE 





the first century, and long years before the council of 
Nice, where infidels, Catholics and others claim the 
New Testament canon was first established. 


More testimony might be added, but enough has 
been given to establish our point, that the New Testa- 
ment, as we have it today, was written by the men 
whose names the books bear; and enough also to 
shatter the infidel yarns about men voting at certain 


councils upon which books should be received as Holy 
Scripture. 


SPURIOUS DOCUMENTS 


AUL said a falling away would come among 

Christians, and added “The mystery of iniquity 
doth already work,” and soon after the death of the 
Apostles, this departing from the faith came. De- 
signing men claimed to be converted to Christianity, 
only for personal gain. Paul said: 

“For I know this, that after my departing shall griev- 
ous wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock; 

“Also of your own selves shall men arise speaking per- 
verse things to draw away disciples after them.” —Acts 
20:29-30. 

To study the history of the early church, after the 
death of the last New Testament writer, is nauseat- 
ing in the extreme, and shows plainly, that the Apos- 
tle, when he uttered these words, had more than 
human foresight; that he was inspired of God. 


After the second century, hundreds of spurious 
documents appeared, and many forgeries were palmed 
off as genuine, until there was a perfect babel of voices 
crying, oe-here’ and) “Lo -there:) Among. these 
spurious writings which have been translated into our 
tongue, (many of which lie before me as I write) are 
the insane ravings of Hermas; the forged epistle of 
Barnabas; the much mutilated and interpolated epistle 
of Ignatius; the so-called Infancy of Jesus, with its 


47 


THE BIBLE 





swaddling clothes relics; a bewitched man changed 
into a mule and the mule into a man again; ““Thomas’ 
Gospel,” with it’s ludicrous fables of Christ’s boy- 
hood; the Gospel of the birth of Mary; the so-called 
Apostles’ Creed, (which by the way, the Apostles 
never saw) and numerous others. 


Getting down to.cold facts—it is positively miracu- 
lous that the Bible came to us so pure, so uncon- 
taminated and perfect and free from these forged and 
lying epistles. The very fact that it is here today, after 
the lapse of centuries of darkness, error, : delusion 
and literary fraud, is in itself evidence of its divine 
authorship. 

“Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the 
Holy Ghost.”—2-Peter 1:21. | 

God wrote it. God preserved it. All over the 
world, in museums, convents and monasteries, hidden 
for centuries, are the old versions and documents, 
shaking off the dust and mould of ages, arising to 
vindicate that Word. Wherever the spade of the ex- 
plorer in Bible lands pierces the soil of Bible days, 
new revelations are springing forth to say: 


“Let God be true and every man a liar.” 


Having firmly established the reliability and au- 
thenticity of the New Testament Scriptures up to the 
middle of the third century, we shall next consider the 
Old Testament; after which, we shall proceed to 
show the sterling stability and historicity of the entire 
Bible, passing through the ages, from the time of 
Christ and His Apostles down to our latest English 
versions. 


MOSES, JONAH, AND DANIEL 


[NF IDELITY and higher criticism have fired their 

biggest guns at Moses, Jonah and Daniel, the very 
books that are backed by the word of Jesus Christ, 
Himself. 


48 


al 


THE BIBLE 





It seems right, therefore, before giving historical 
evidence for the antiquity of the Old Testament, that 
these books should be briefly considered. 


MOSES 

The books of Moses, frequently called the Law or 
Pentateuch, are the five known as Genesis, Exodus, 
Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. These books 
have always been held in special reverence by the 
Israelites since their entrance into the Promised Land 
(Palestine), and were never questioned before the 
Babylonian captivity. After the captivity, the law of 
Moses was read to the people, by Ezra, as recorded 
in Nehemiah 8:1-9. This was about B. C. 447. These 
same books were incorporated into the Septuagint, 
at least 280 years before Christ. Christ refers to 
these books in these words: 

“Had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me: 
for he wrote of me.”—John 5:46 

As to what Moses wrote in Genesis, there can be 
no question. Taking the events therein set forth as 
history alone, or from the standpoint of family tra- 
dition, they stand far more firmly than the writings of © 
any one of the Greek or Roman philosophers or his- 
torians, which were written many centuries later. The 
life of one man, spans the gap from Adam to Noah. 
Methuselah lived for years contemporary with both 
Adam and Noah. Shem knew both Noah and 
Abraham; and Isaac, the son of Abraham, ‘knew 
Joseph. 


Here we have three men, Methuselah, Shem, and 
Isaac, connecting the first man with Joseph, the first 
of Israel’s sons to go mto Egypt. Aside from this, 
which of itself is enough to prove the correctness of 
the Mosaic record in Genesis, we have the fact that. 
Moses was a prophet—yes, more than a prophet—for 
we read: 


49 


THE BIBLE 


















































































































































































































































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THE SAMARITAN PENTATEUCH 
which the Samaritans claim was written by Aaron. 
It is of unquestioned antiquity. 


50 


THE BIBLE 





“And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a 
prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known 
unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. 


“My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all 
mine house. 


“With him I will speak mouth to mouth, even appar- 
ently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the 
Lord shall he behold; wherefore then were ye not afraid 
to speak against my servant Moses?”—Nuimbers 12:6-8. 


The infidel argument, that the art of writing, was 
unknown in the time of Moses, is absurd. Just a few 
passing remarks will shatter such a foolish conten- 
tion. Archeologists have brought to light, thousands 
of written specimens, antedating Moses by hundreds 
of years. In Ninevah, Southern Chaldea and Egypt, 
the very stones are crying out against this infidel lie. 


In the ruins of the royal palace of Esarhaddon, in 
Ninevah, more than twenty thousand stone books were 
brought to light during the nineteenth century. Among 
these were some from Ur of the Chaldeans, written 
probably in the days of Abraham, the very names, 
Noah, Abraham and Job are found among them. 


M. de Sarzec, the French scholar, found no less 
than thirty thousand of these stone books in Southern 
Chaldea. Many of these were written before the 
days of Moses. This explodes the foolish infidel lie, 
that writing was unknown when Moses lived. 


In the year 1901, M. de Morgan, discovered at 
Susa, in Persia, (the famous “Shushan the Palace’ 
referred to by Nehemiah), a remarkable monument of 
early writing, dating at least 500 years before the 
time that Moses lived. It is a pillar or monument of 
black stone or diorite, eight feet high. It contains the 
laws of King Hammurabi, who lived perhaps con- 
temporary with Abraham. The writing is in wedge- 


51 


THE BIBLE 





shaped characters representing syllables. This won- 
derful monument is now at the Louvre in Paris. 

In the British Museum may be seen those much 
discussed Tell-el-Amarna tablets, covered with writing 
in cuneiform characters, dating back at least one 
hundred years before the time of Moses. 

It is enough to. know that Jesus taught that Moses 
wrote the things found in the first five books of the 
Bible, for He said: “He wrote of Me.” Jesus said 
this a number of times—See Mark 10:5, Mark 12:19, 
John 5:46 


Moses was educated in Egypt, the then seat of 
learning, art and science. More need not be said on 
this point, except that Christ unequivocally endorses 
the writings of Moses, as do all of the New Testament 
writers. 


JONAH 


E shall briefly consider the Book of Jonah. The 

Book of Jonah is not a fable or mythological tale, 
because Christ Jesus tells us, first, that Jonah was a 
real person; second, that he was swallowed by a sea 
monster; and third, that he preached to the people 
of Ninevah. Christ said: 


“For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the 
whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and 
three nights in the heart of the earth. 


“The men of Ninevah shall rise in judgment with this 
generation, and shall condemn it; because they repented 
at the preaching of Jonas and, behold, a greater than 
Jonas is here.”—Matt. 12:40, 41. 

Here Jesus relates in brief, the facts before set 
forth, and gives His endorsement to the Book of 
Jonah. The infidel quibble is on what they are pleased 
to call the “whale story.” 

The ignorant statement, that a whale’s throat is 
so small that it could not swallow one of Jonah’s feet, 


52 


THE BIBLE 





is an index to the mental caliber of these Bible critics. 


There are many species of whales. The Greenland 
whale, alone, has a small throat. The great sperm 
whale, the whale found in the Mediterranean Sea, 
according to Curvier, in his “Regne Animal,” has a 
throat of such capacity that he could with the greatest 
ease, swallow several men. 


We do not say it was a whale that swallowed 
Jonah, neither does the Bible say so. The word trans- 
lated ‘‘whale” in Matt. 12:40, should be rendered “‘sea 
monster”; but granting, for argument sake, that it 
was a whale, there would be nothing unreasonable 
about that transaction. The New York World of 
April 12th, 1896, quoted from the French Journal des 
Debats the words of M. Henri de Parville, Scientific 
Editor, who was accustomed to weighing evidence 
with care, and reaching conclusions only when the 
facts had been thoroughly investigated and found 
true. M. Henri de Parville said: 


“TI have already remarked in these columns that gi- 
gantic stomachs over two meters in diameter have been 
found in whales. The whale belonging to the Prince of 
Monaco, which died the other day, had in its intestines 
many hundred kilograms of fishes. Even Goliath could 
not have weighed more than that, to say nothing of 
Jonah.” 


M. de Parville remarked that the accounts given 
“by the captain and crew of the English whaler 
(next page) are worthy of belief. There are many 
cases reported where whales in their dying agony 
have swallowed human beings, but this is the first 
modern case where the victim came forth safe... . 
After this illustration I end by believing that Jonah 
did come out from the whale alive.” 


The story which has received the support of one 
of the most careful scientists in Europe is as follows: 


53 


THE BIBLE 





“On the twenty-fifth of August, 1895, the lookout on 
the ‘Star of the East’ sighted two enormous whales. The 
steamer gave chase, and came within half a mile of one 
of them. Two boats were lowered and rowed toward 
the animal. Bartley’s boat was nearer and from it was 
fired a bomb lance which struck the whale in a vital part. 
The sailors backed water, but were not quick enough, for 
the monster seized the boat and smashed it. The sailors 
leaped into the water. Bartley, who had been steering, 
was thrown up with the stern. His comrades in the other 
boat saw him leap, but unfortunately, the whale threw 
himself forward, and the man struck within the jaws, 
which closed over him. 


“The men in the water were picked up by the other 
boat. The whale was killed and brought alongside the 
steamer, and work of removing the blubber was begun. 
A day and a night were consumed in the operation. Fi- 
nally they opened the stomach, and there they found 
Bartley. He was unconscious. 


“They laid him upon the deck and began to rub his 
limbs, which were purple and besmeared with blood. 
They gave him brandy, and he regained consciousness, 
but his reason was gone. For three weeks he remained 
in this condition, raving and calling upon heaven to save 
him from the furnace in which he imagined himself being 
consumed. After awhile all hallucinations wore away. 
When his comrades asked him what had been his impres- 
sions while in the stomach of the whale, he said: 


‘I remember from the moment that I jumped and 
felt my feet strike some soft substance. I looked up and 
saw a canopy of pink and white descending, and the next 
moment felt myself drawn downward feet first, and real- 
ized that I was being swallowed by a whale. I was 
drawn lower and lower; a wall of flesh hemmed me in, 
yet the pressure was not painful, and the flesh gave way 
before my slightest movement. 


‘Suddenly I found myself in a sack much larger than 
my body, completely dark. Soon I felt a great pain 
in my head, and my breathing became difficult. At the 
same time I felt a terrible heat; it seemed to consume me, 
and I believed I was going to be broiled alive. 


‘The thought that I was to perish in the belly of a 
whale tormented me beyond endurance, while the awful 


54 


THE BIBLE 





silence weighed me down. I tried to rise, to cry out. All 
action was now impossible, but my brain seemed ab- 
normally clear, and with a full comprehension of my fate, 
I lost consciousness.’ 


“Bartley’s general health is good, but his skin still 
retains a peculair bluish tinge, which seems indelible, and 
which was undoubtably caused by the action of the gas- 
tric juice in the whale’s stomach. The truth of this extra- 
ordinary adventure is vouched for by the sailors and 
captain of the ‘Star of the East’.” 


The Bible Champion contains the following para- 
graph from Prof. L. T. Townsend, in proof that a 
man weighing one hundred and seventy pounds passed 
through the throat of a whale: 


“So far, therefore, as the Hebrew and Greek words 
are concerned, the highest criticism makes it perfectly 
clear that the fish that swallowed Jonah may have been 
a shark, a sea serpent, a sea lion, or any other large 
monster of the deep. And even if the skeptic insists 
that the word whale should be used, still one need not 
suffer embarrassment, for while it is true that the Wright 
whale has a throat of small size, the sperm whale has a 
throat sufficiently large to swallow a man without the 
least difficulty. There is not a shipmaster or a sailor who 
has been on a whaling voyage who will question the 
statement made by one of the crew of a New Bedford, 
Massachusetts, whale ship, that he, though a man of large 
build, weighing one hundred and seventy pounds, fre- 
quently had passed through the mouth and throat of a 
dead sperm whale. He says he did this after the head of 
the whale had been cut off from the body, and when the 
jaws jand smallest part of the throat had been taken on 
deck.” 


We have already proven that Jesus Christ believed 
the story of Jonah, and used it as an illustration of 
His death, burial and resurrection. He took a very 
active part in the experience through which Jonah 
passed, and His word based on personal knowledge, 
ends all controversy and doubt. 


Aside from this it must be noted that the Scrip- 
ms 


THE BIBLE 





tures say,—“The Lord prepared a great fish to swal- 
low Jonah,” and, as before stated, the word whale, 
in Matt. 12:40, in the original is “sea monster.” 


The objector, ought to know, that the whale is not 
a fish, but is essentially a mammal as a cow or a horse. 
Clearly then, as the Scriptures say Jonah was swal- 
lowed by a great fish, it could not have been a whale. 


There are, no doubt, great fish in the ocean which 
have never been seen by man, as is evidenced by 
many recent discoveries in the Atlantic and Pacific, as 
well as other waters. 

On the next page, we give a photographic reprint 
of a giant fish captured by Capt. C. H. Thompson, of 
the yacht “Samoa,” in 1916. It took two full days 
and one night to safely land this monster, which 
weighed 30,000 Ibs., and is the only one of its kind 
ever captured or known to the scientific world. “Its 
immense size can be seen when compared with the man 
who stands at its head in the picture, and yet this 
is apparently only a baby of the family, as it was ob- 
served that the backbone was of a cartilaginous nature, 
a condition found only in young creatures. In a full 
grown one this develops into true bone. Its small 
eyes, about the, size of a silver dollar, indicated that 
it was a deep sea fish. It is estimated that this fish 
lived at a great depth, perhaps fifteen hundred to 
two thousand feet below the surface.” 


It is believed that this fish was driven up by a 
volcanic eruption and that owing to the difference in 
water pressure, the swim-bladder burst making it im- 
possible to return to his level. 

It measured forty-five feet in length, and twenty- 
three feet nine mches in circumference. Its hide was 
three inches thick. The liver alone weighed seven- 
teen hundred pounds, and the entire fish weighed 
thirty thousand pounds. 


56 


i sit el et et te ee 


THE BIBLE 


Mammoth Sea Monster Captured (1916) by Captain C. H. Thompson. 
Weight 30,000 pounds. It was 45 feet long, and 238 feet, 9 inches 
in circumference. Only a baby of its family at that. 


xa 





57 


THE BIBLE 





This fish was prepared and mounted by J. S. 
Warmbeth. As to its swallowing capacity; the pic- 
ture itself illustrates that point. 

The foregoing is given simply to show how very 
little we all know about the great deep and how shal- 
low must be the minds of the doubters of Holy Writ. 


Notwithstanding all that has been said, and no 
matter what discoveries shall still be made, the mi- 
raculous element must not be eliminated. God, who 
created man, “prepared a great fish’ capable of swal- 
lowing Jonah. 


The fact that Jonah was swallowed by a great fish, 
is a miracle of such small consequence as compared 
with the fact that a whole city the size of ancient 
Ninevah repented in three days, that infidels ought to 
be ashamed to mention the fact. 


- That the Book of Jonah is not a fable, or a wild 
tale, relating something that is impossible or unbeliev- ~ 
able, but that it is altogether reasonable and probable, 
was the contention of Mr. E J. Sewell, a thinker, sci- 
entific investigator and scholar of London, who was 
awarded the 1923 Gunning Prize for his essay on the 
Book of Jonah, by the Victoria Institute. This prize 
is awarded “only to convincing discussions and orig- 
inal discoveries and ideas,’ by the Institute, which 
investigates impartially important questions of a phil- 
osophical nature. 


The New York World Magazine, June 22, 1924, 
contained a two-page article on the subject, with pho- 
tographs and sketches, among which was one of a 
man in a whale’s mouth, and from the appearance of 
the roomy opening, several more might have gotten 
inside. Mr. Brennecke, the author of the article, re- 
lating the awarding of the Gunning Prize, says of the 
gentleman whose defence of the Book of Jonah won 
him the prize: 

58 


THE BIBLE 





“Mr Sewell is not the first man to defend the Book of 
Jonah on a literal and commonsense basis. Earlier apolo- 
gists have pointed to narratives according to which THE 
GIGANTIC SHARK KNOWN AS CARCHARIAS HAS 
BEEN KNOWN TO SWALLOW A MAN OR EVEN 
A HORSE WHOLE—EVEN TO HAVE VOMITED 
UP A TUNNY FISH AND THE UNDECOMPOSED 
BODY OF A SAILOR. Dr. Eichorn, a well known Ger- 
man Biblical scholar relates that a whale, after taking a 
sailor in its jaws, immediately of its own accord threw 
him out again and he was picked up alive and only 
slightly injured.” 


He also relates the case of James Bartley. 


As it is said by those who know more about sea 
monsters than quibbling infidels and doubting critics 
do, that, the mouth of a huge whale sometimes 
measures “20 feet long, 10 feet high and 10 feet 
wide,” no sensible person will doubt that a whale 
could have swallowed Jonah. As the original word 
used, however, denotes “sea monster,” it may have 
been a great fish; one of_the shark family, or some 
other creature of the deep. It is possible, probable, 
reasonable. The Book of Jonah tells the truth. 


DANIEL 


OW concerning the Book of Daniel, we have a 

suspicion that the infidel and higher critic tries 
to dispose of this book as spurious, because Daniel, as 
no other prophet, gives facts and figures so true to 
subsequent history, that to grant that this book was 
written by Daniel, would destroy the whole fabric of 
infidelity and higher criticism. 


Daniel definitely locates the very year of the Mes- 
siah’s coming,—tells the history of the nations from 
Babylon to the present divided state of Europe, so 
accurately that his inspiration is forever settled, hence 
the infidel’s anxiety to get rid of the Book of Daniel. 


59 


THE BIBLE 


So true to facts are the prophecies of Daniel that, 
late writers have echoed the words of Porphyry, who 
lived in the third century after Christ, that the book 
of Daniel is history and not prophecy.* One argu- 
ment used against this book is, that it was written in 
two different languages—the Aramaic, (known too, as 
the Syriac or Chaldean), and in the Hebrew. Before 
the Babylonian captivity, the Jews understood Hebrew 
only. That this is true, may be proven by the speech 
of Rab-shakeh, in 2-Kings 18:26, when he was re- 
quested to speak in the Syriac, which the nobles un- 
derstood but not the people generally. 


After the captivity of the Jews, many of them had 
lost their distinctive Hebrew tongue and learned the 
language of the Babylonians, the Syriac or Aramaic. 
The evidence of this is found in the fact that at the 
reading of the law by Ezra, the Levites had to inter- 
pret it to the people, because many of them had lost 
the Hebrew language during the captivity. See 
Nehemiah 8:7,8 


THIS FACT ALONE (THE USE OF THESE TWO 
LANGUAGES) PROVES THAT IT WAS WRITTEN 
IN BABYLON, DURING THE CAPTIVITY. 

There are no objections to the book of Daniel that 
have not been fully answered over and over again, 
and today these writings are established as authentic, 
and no person can read them without believing in their 
absolute infallibility. Daniel is the great infidel- 
killer of the Bible. More infidels have renounced 
their infidelity through reading Damel than from any 
other source. 


Christ endorses the book of Daniel in these words. 
“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of deso- 


*Read FACTS AND FIGURES, Price 10c.; and RISE AND 
FALL OF NATIONS, Price 25e. by the Author of this. 


60 


THE BIBLE 





lation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the 
holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand)” —Matt. 
24:15. 


The Christian is satisfied with this endorsement 
by Christ, and the infidel need only read the book of 
Daniel and compare it with history to lose his in- 
fidelity. 


{ 
THE, SEPEUAGINE 


Q)N E point historically certain, is that the Old Tes- 

tament, as we have it today, was known and 
accepted as the Sacred Scriptures, by the Jews, at the 
least calculation, over 280 years before the birth of 
Jesus Christ. 


Ptolemy Philadelphus, whom Tertullian called “the 
most learned of his race, a man of vast acquaintance 
with all literature” (Tertullian’s works—V ol. 1-88-89), 
ordered the Hebrew Scriptures translated into Greek, 
not only for the purpose of acquainting the Egyptians 
with the Hebrew traditions, but to satisfy the many 
Jews in his realm, who had in early days become 
Greek in speech, practically forgetting their own na- 
tional tongue. This translation is called the Septu- 
agint, for as its name implies, it was translated by 
seventy learned men, sent by the Jews to Alexandria 
at the request of this ruler. 


Not one of our present Old Testament books is 
missing from this translation, and no books except 
those of our present Old Testament are included. 


All of our 39 books of the Old Testament were 
reckoned by the Jews as only 22. What appear as 
separate books in our Bibles, were in some instances 
combined as one book. For example, the books of the 
Jewish Scriptures were reckoned as follows: 


61 


THE BIBLE 


Pirst-— POE sCA Wowie a ea pee ee 


Genesis 
Exodus 
Leviticus 
Numbers 
Deuteronomy 


setond— PAM sPRO PH Ets see ohne 


The Former Prophets 
Joshua 
Judges 
Samuel (Ist and 2nd books) 
Kings (lst and 2nd books) 


The Latter Prophets 


Isaiah 

Jeremiah 

Ezekiel 
Hosea 
Joel 
Amos 
Obadiah 
Jonah 


Minor Prophets Micah 

Counted as one Nahum 

Among the Jews Habakkuk 
Zephaniah 
Haggai 
Zechariah 
Malachi 


Third—THE HAGIOGRAPHA, OR 
LOLA VSWR ACN G Ste seas teste eee 


Psalms 

Proverbs 

Job 

Songs of Solomon 

Ruth 

Lamentations 

Ecclesiastes 

Esther 

Daniel 

Ezra- Nehemiah (counted as one) 
Chronicles (Ist and 2nd books) 


TOTAL 
62 


5 books 


8 books 


11 books 


24 books 


THE BIBLE 





Twenty-four was the true number of the Jewish 
Scriptural Books, but the Jews counted them as only 
twenty-two to make them correspond with the num- 
ber of letters in the Hebrew Alphabet. 


It will be observed, however, that these twenty- 
four books, or as the Jews called them twenty-two, 
are exactly like, and contain all the matter found in 
our books which we number thirty-nine. 


THE APOCRYPHA 


HE question is often asked——‘“Why is not the 
Apocrypha included in the Protestant Bible as well 
as in the Catholic Bible?’ 


The word Apocrypha is a Greek word, and means 
“secret,” “hidden,” or “obscure.” This name was 
probably adopted because no one can trace all of these 
books to their source, for the authors of most of 
them are unknown; and that is true, too, of the times 
in which they were written. One thing is certain, and 
that is, that they were never received by the Jews as 
a part of their sacred Scriptures. The book of Mac- 
cabees is history, and very good history, but does not 
pretend to be written as Scripture, or Holy Scripture. 
Maccabees may be treated as we treat Herodotus, 
Tacitus, Gibbon, Bancroft, or any other history, but 
not as a part of Holy Writ. 


These Apocryphal books were not accepted by 
Christ or His apostles. There are in the New 
Testament, about 633 references to the Old Testa- 
ment, of which there are 263 actual quotations, 
BUT NOT ONE FROM THE APOCRYPHA. 


They (the Apocryphal writings) are found in the 
Vatican Manuscript, which was written in the fourth 
century, but there is no evidence that they were ever 


63 


THE BIBLE 





received by any of the early churches or by the Jews 
before the fourth century. 

By combining some of the Old Testament books, 
of which we have 39, the Jews counted only 22, as 
before stated, and these which included all of our 
Old Testament, the Jews received as inspired, just as 
we do.~ Josephus says on this point: 


“We have not an innumerable multitude of bodks 
among us, disagreeing from and contradicting one an- 
other (as the Greeks have), but only twenty-two books, 
which contain the record of all the past times; which are 
justly believed to be divine; and how firmly we have 
given credit to those books of our own nation is evident 
by what we do; for during so many ages as have already 
passed, no one has been so bold as either to add anything 
to them, to take anything from them, or to make any 
change in them.”—Against Apion, book 1, section 8. 

Therefore it must be accepted as a fact that when 
Josephus wrote, although the Apocryphal books might 
have been, and in all probability were, known, they 
were not received as on a par with the Holy Scriptures 
which we now call the Old Testament. Josephus was 
born A. D. 37, and wrote sometime after the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem, which occurred in A. D. 70. 

It is generally supposed that the Apocryphal books 
were included in the Greek translation of the Old 
Testament (the Septuagint) made about 280 years 
B. C., but this is also a mistake, for Cyril of Jeru- 
salem, who was born about the year 315 A. D., speak- 
ing of the books of the Septuagint says: 

“Read the divine Scriptures—namely, the twenty-two 
books of the Old Testament which the seventy-two inter- 
preters translated.” (That is the Greek rendering known 
as the Septuagint.) 

It is evident, therefore, that even as late as the 
days of Cyril, the Apocryphal books were not con- 
sidered as sacred literature or as part of Scriptures. 

No reasoning man, who reads these books we call 
the Apocrypha, would for one minute think of placing 


64 


THE BIBLE 


them on a par with the Old Testament. They were 
incorporated into the Catholic canon of Scripture at 
the Council of Trent, April 8th, 1546. This council 
was presided over by the Pope, and as Tradition 
stands on an equality with the Bible with that church, 
they, of course, received them as equal with the or- 
iginal and authentic Bible books The Apocrypha was 
repudiated by the Greek Church A. D. 363 (Council 
of Laodicea) and the use of these writings forbidden 
in the Churches. 

The names of these books are almost enough to 
condemn them. They are as follows: 

1—Esdras 

2—Esdras 

Tobit 

Judith * 

Esther, parts not Fouitd in the Hebrew or 
Chaldee original. 

Wisdom of Solomon 

Ecclesiasticus 

Baruch 

Song of the Three Holy Children 

History of Susanna 

Bel and the Dragon 

Prayer of Manasses 

1—Maccabees 

2—Maccabees 

Nearly every doctrine of Catholicism that is hate- 
ful to Protestants is taught in these books, and with- 
out them and other traditional works of doubtful au- 
thenticity, or with the Bible alone, Catholicism could 
not exist. 

We, of course, accept the two books of Macca- 
bees as history, but not in points of doctrine, for 
when they were written the Jews had departed from 
God and had imbibed much of heathenism in their 
religious belief. As history, they record facts and 


65 


THE BIBLE 





events as do other histories, and it is quite natural to 
expect references to the false ideas prevalent among 
the Jews at the time when they were written. We. 
accept the history, as such, while we ignore the 
doctrinal teaching. | 

Going over these books of the Apocrypha we find 
so much evidence of error, fraud and false doctrine, 
that they seem entirely out of place between the lids 
of that Sacred Book we call the Bible. In the book 
of Tobit, there is much unbelievable nonsense, as _al- 
so, in the other books of the Apocrypha. In chapter 
five of this book, an angel is made to lie to Tobit. 
In chapter six, is given a fish story that no man with 
reason could possibly believe, and the angel is quoted 
as saying to Tobit the following: 

“Take out the entrails of this fish, and lay up his heart, 
and his gall, and his liver for thee: for these are neces- 
sary for useful medicines.”—Verse 5. 

When Tobit asked the angel what these remedies 
were good for, the angel is quoted as saying: 

“If thou put a little piece of its heart upon coals, the 


smoke thereof driveth away all kinds of devils, either from 
man or from woman, so that they come no more to them. 


“And the gall is good for anointing the eyes, in which 
there is a white speck, and they shall be cured.” —Verses 
8 and 9. 

The foregoing is only a sample of the ridiculous 
nonsense contained in this book. It was perhaps the 
work of some superstitious person who was anxious 
to display extreme piety, of which he knew very little. 
It is entirely contrary to the Gospel message of grace, 
for in chapter twelve, the writer teaches salvation by 
works as follows: 


“Prayer is good with fasting and alms, more than to 
lay up treasures of gold: 


“For alms delivereth from death, and the same is that 
which purgeth away sins, and maketh to find mercy and 
life everlasting.”—Verses 8 and 9. 


66 


THE BIBLE 





Then there is the book of Ecclesiasticus. This 
book must not be confused with the book of Ecclesi- 
astes written by Solomon. Ecclesiasticus is an Apoc- 
ryphal writing. The author is not known, although 
it is claimed that it was written by Jesus, the son of 
Sirach. In the prologue to the book is evidence that. 
condemns it from ever-taking a place among the 
sacred writings of Jews or Christians 


It does not even purport to be anything other than 
another person’s reflections on the Law and the Pro- 
phets of the Jewish Scriptures. It is supposed to have 
been found by its writer and translated by him. The 
book is worthless as literature and wholly unworthy 
of a place in the sacred canon, although it contains 
some excellent counsel. It cannot be accepted as 
Sacred Scripture in any sense of the word. 


All of the Apocryphal books are of the same fan- 
ciful order, and not one of them is worthy to be 
received as Holy Scripture. They do not compare 
with those thirty-nine books which make up our Old 
Testament. 


The book of Maccabees was written sometime after 
the death of Antiochus Epiphanes, who cruelly perse- 
cuted the Jews, captured Jerusalem, desecrated the 
Temple, set up a statue of Jupiter therein, and offered 
swine on the sacred altar. He also forbade the cir- 
cumcision of the Jewish children, crucified the mothers 
who had their children circumcised, and slew the chil- 
dren; besides this, he abolished the daily evening and 
morning sacrifice for 1100 days. Counting two sacri- 
fices (evening and morning) each day, he thus ful- 
filled the prophecy of Daniel which says: 

“Unto two thousand, three hundred, evenings, morn- 
ings, then shall the Sanctuary be cleansed.”—Daniel 8:14. 

“2200 Evening, mornings,” is the correct render- 
ing. The word “days” is not found in the original, 


67 


THE BIBLE 


and by supplying the word sacrifices, all is made 
clear. 

After the 2200 evening and morning sacrifices had 
been discontinued, Judas Maccabees returned and 
cleansed the sanctuary; and the Jews to this day 
observe the Feast of Lights in remembrance of the 
cleansing of the sanctuary. 

The books of Maccabees are good history, but 
that is the best that can be said of them. The Jews, 
at that time, had greatly departed from the faith of 
their fathers and were already practising much error, 
as prayers for the dead and the like (2-Maccabees 
12:43,44). To place these books in the canon of Holy 
Scripture, would be to sanction-these errors, and con- 
tradict the authentic Scriptures. 

More need not be said on this point. The Apocry- 
phal books must be rejected as Scripture today, as 
they were up until a fallen church, seeking for some 
support for its errors, incorporated them into the 
canon of Holy Writ. 


THE S@-CALLED: LOST-BOOKS 

Bee: the Apocrypha, there were other books | 

known to the Jews that were never incorporated 
into the canon of Scriptures. Some of these were | 
written by men of God, prophets, and others, but it 
is quite evident from their omission from the earlier , 
history of the Jews, even from the days of Ezra and 
Nehemiah, that they were simply accepted on the same 
basis and to the same degree as were a vast host of 
books that were written in every age, and never in- 
tended as of equal value with God’s Scriptures of 
Truth. The following writings are referred to in the 
Bible, but have long since been lost: 

“The Book of the Wars of the Jews’—Numbers 

21:14 
“The Book of Jasher’—Josh. 10:13, 2-Sam’]. 1:18. 


— 


68 





THE BIBLE 





“The Book of the Acts of Solomon.”’—1-Kings 
11:14 
“The Book of Nathan the Prophet.”—1-Chron. 
3 29:29; 
“The Book of. Gad the Seer.”-—1-Chron. 29:29. 
“The Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite.”—2- 
Chron. 9:29. 

“The Visions of Iddo the Seer.” —2-Chron. 9:29. 

And perhaps a Book of Enoch, although this 1s 
doubtful. Jude refers to a prophecy of Enoch (Jude 
14), but it is impossible for any Bible scholar to class 
the extant work going by that name as the prophecy 
referred to by Jude. The prophecy of Enoch, refer- 
red to by Jude, may have been in a book, or may have 
been quoted from another source, as far as we can 
determine at this late date. It may have been a verbal 
prophecy, never set down in writing. 

The question may be asked—‘‘why were these lost 
books not made a part of the Holy Scriptures?” The 
answer is that thousands of other writings might 
claim that high honor, but the fact that they were 
never so regarded by any past writer, even to the 
* remotest antiquity as a part of God’s Book is enough 
to satisfy any person that God never intended that 
they should be. If He had, they would have been 
found somewhere, at some time, and set aside with the 
other writings which we call Holy Scripture; and the 
very fact that they were never regarded as Holy 
Scripture, even as far back as the days of Ezra and 
Nehemiah, is proof positive that God never intended 
that they should be. 


PUNCTUATION 


T should be understood that in all of the original 
manuscripts and all copies of the same up to the 
end of the sixth century, at least, no attempt was made 


69 


THE BIBLE 





to separate words or to use any system of punctuation. 


The development of an organized system of punc- 
tuation was a gradual work and began to take form 
at Alexandria, in Egypt, where they first used certain 
marks merely to show the beginning of paragraphs. 
This was indicated by a space in the line and later by 
a large initial letter, while below the line where the 
space was left, was drawn a short horizontal line or 
an arrow-pointed line, called by the Greeks para- 
graphos. In the Hebrew, the vowels were also omit- 
ted, and of necessity this made the reading very slow 
and translating very difficult. As an example to the 
point, let the reader try the following: 


RMMBRTHSBBTHDYTKPTHLY 
which is 
Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 

Only consonants were used, and the vowels were 
omitted entirely. The name of Jehovah was written 
—JHVH. 

It was also extremely difficult to distinguish be- 
tween some of the Hebrew letters. In a valuable work 
which lies before me, I find the following, which 


shows the close similarity of some of the Hebrew 
characters. 


70 


THE BIBLE 





The Jews, as well as the Greeks and Latins, used 
the characters of their alphabet as numerals, therefore 
it can readily be understood from the foregoing com- 
parison of characters in the Hebrew which look so 
much alike, why there are a few apparent errors in 


numbers in parts of our English rendering of the— 


Scriptures. These are all traceable to mis-translations, 
and when carefully compared, these discrepancies melt 
away, as hoar frost before the rays of the sun. 


About the ninth century, more system was prac- 
tised in the separation of words; and in punctuation, 
the comma was used, to indicate a slight pause, while 
the interrogation point was made like our semi-colon. 


It was not until the days of Aldus Manutius (1450- 
1515), that the present system of punctuation was 
adopted; but of course, since his time there has been 
much improvement along that line. 


It should be most distinctly understood, however, 
that punctuation is purely a human invention and 
work, inserted more than 1300 years after the last 
book in the Bible was written, and is merely arbitrary. 
Consequentlly, many mistakes are found in the point- 
ing off or punctuation of Bible texts, which punctu- 
ation may be set aside at will to give the proper sense. 


fo pepe DIV LDR DSN ©. CHARTERS 


HE first to divide the Bible into chapters was 

Cardinal Hugo, in the year 1250. It was the Latin 
Bible, and he did it to assist him in preparing a 
Latin concordance. Every Bible since that time has 
followed this division, which in some few instances 
is very crude. The careful reader should give little 
if any heed to these divisions. They are merely made 
for convenience in locating texts more easily. As 


71 


THE BIBLE 





originally written, the Scriptures had no such di- 
visions. 


THE BIBLE DIVIDED INTO VERSES 


IR ROBERT STEVENS, was the first to divide 

the New Testament into verses. This he did in 
the year 1551. The Old Testament had been divided 
into verses, by the Jews very early, but in many re- 
spects quite differently from the verse divisions in our 
present Bibles. What we have said regarding the di- 
vision into chapters, applies with equal force to the 
division into verses. They are thus divided for our 
convenience only. 


HISTORICAL EVIDENCE 


REEK, Egyptian and Roman historians before 
and after Christ, add their testimony to the mass 
of evidence we possess, as to the antiquity of the 
Hebrew Scriptures, known to us as the Old Testament. 
Manetho’s History of Egypt, written B. C. 268, is 
quoted by Josephus, as saying that the Israelites were 
led out of Egypt by Moses, who gave them their laws, 
etce.—(see Josephus against Apion—Book 1-c-26-27). 
Philo, an educated and scholarly Jew, living about 
the time of Christ( not a convert to Christianity), 
quotes, as inspired by God, from nearly all of our 
present books of the Old Testament. 


The Greek geographer, Strabo, B. C. 65; the -in- 
fidel, Celsus, A. D. 165; Pliny, the elder, who died 
during the eruption of Vesuvius, A. D. 79; and the 
Roman Historian, Tacitus, all, refer to parts of the 
Old Testament, not always as such, but with such ac- 
curacy at least, that we can only conclude its recog- 
nition by them. 


Josephus, the greatest Jewish historian that ever — 


72 


THE BIBLE 


lived, universally accepted by Jews and Gentiles as 
authority on Jewish history and antiquities, who wrote 
about A. D. 90, gives the number of Old Testament 
books as we have them today, and claims for them 
ancient recognition and divine inspiration. (See 
Josephus vs. Apion—Book 1, chap. 8.) In his History 
of the Jews, he quotes liberally from all the Old 
Testament books as established authority. Josephus 
was born A. D. 37 and lived contemporary with Paul, 
Peter and John. At the destruction of Jerusalem, A.D. 
70, foretold by Christ in Matthew, 24th chapter, 
Josephus pled with the Jews to surrender to the 
Romans to avoid bloodshed. 


ARCHAZOLOGICAL EVIDENCE 


OT only history, but archeology, bears silent wit- 

ness to the antiquity as well as to the truthfulness 
of God’s Word. The spade of the explorer in Bible 
lands, Palestine, Babylonia, Assyria, and in Egypt, has 
brought to light many most startling evidences that 
the Bible is true and was written in the days in which 
it claims to have been. One of our United States 
consular agents in the Holy land said: 

“It is now possible to travel from one end of Pales- 
tine to the other, and with the Bible as a guide book 
locate nearly every place of religious interest. The old 
Eastern world is springing into life, and skepticism and 
doubt are retreating before the spade of the explorer; 
cities and nations, whose very existence was denied by 
infidelity of the past, are now awakening from their dusty 
beds to testify to the truthfulness of the inspired pages, 
and now, after the lapse of nearly two thousand years, 
almost every place mentioned in the Bible where any 
important event transpired, may still be identified by its 
old Hebrew name in the Arabic form.” 

On the rocks and amid the ruins of buried cities, 
is found written proof of the Bible’s inspiration. 
Hours might be spent in reciting the wonderful dis- 


73 


THE BHRELE 





ROSETTA 
STONE 





It contains an in- 
scription in three 
different languages. 
An invaluable aid in 
the deciphering of 
other inscriptions. 








PART OF A BAKED CLAY CYLINDER, inscribed in the Baby- 
lonian characters with an account of the capture of Babylon 
by Cyrus, the son of Cambyses, the grandson 
ot Cyrus, B. C. 539. (British Museum.) 

See page 83. 


The inscription states that Cyrus was called to the rule of 
Babylonia by the god (Marduk) whose services and honor had 
been diminished by Nabonidus, the native king. The god aided 
Cyrus mightily, and marched by his side like a friend and ally. 
The outlying cities of Babylonia fell before the king one after 
another, and finally he and his troops, which are said to have 
been like the water of the river for multitude, marched into 
Babylon without striking a blow. 


74, 


THE BIBLE 





coveries that have been made, during the past cen- 
tury, along this line. Many of the hieroglyphic char- 
acters, for a time puzzled the scholars, and seemed to 
defy all attempts to decipher them, but “God left not 
himself without witness.” In the year 1799, a French 
officer dug up a slab of black marble, at Rosetta, on 
the Nile, which contained an inscription in characters 
of three different languages, one of which was the an- 
cient Greek. As this language was understood and 
could be translated, it was not difficult to decipher the 
other two inscriptions on the stone. An alphabet was 
obtained by which all other similar inscriptions could 
be deciphered and translated. 


This stone is in the British Museum, and is known 
as the Rosetta stone. Strange as it may seem, almost 
all the stone writings thus far recovered, bear strong 
testimony to the truthfulness of the Bible. The walls 
of the famous Temple of Karnack, on the Nile, are 
covered with inscriptions and from these walls there 
still look down, the profiles of Jewish captives, who 
were taken from Palestine by Shishak in the days of 
Rehoboam, and there may be read also, the names of 
the cities he conquered. It seems like reading 2nd 
Chronicles, 12th chapter, and especially the 9th verse: 

So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, 
and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, 
and the treasures of the king’s house; he carried away 
also the shields of gold which Solomon had made.” 

The record in Exodus 5th chapter, is completely 
verified by the discovery of the ancient treasure city of 
Pithon, built for Rameses II, by the Hebrews, near 
Tel-el-Kebir. It was found that the walls of some of 
the houses were built of sun-dried bricks, some with 
straw and some without straw, just as recorded in 
Exodus 5:7: 


_“Ye shall no more give the people straw to make 
bricks, as heretofore.” 


75 


THE BIBLE 





The immense quantities of gold necessary for the 
building of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness has led 
many to doubt the truthfulness of the record. When 
one considers that all the instruments and utensils 
were of solid gold, and that the boards were overlaid 
with pure gold, it is hardly to be wondered at that 
some should question the record, if they do not be- 
lieve that God indited it. The golden candlesticks or 
lamps alone must have been valued at the very least, 
at the present value of gold, at about $25,000. Then 
consider all of the utensils, and the building itself, 
and one is staggered at the value represented in pure 
gold. It may be asked—‘‘Where did the Children of 
Israel get that gold?” The Word of God supplies the 
facts. Moses tells us this: 


“Every woman shall ASK of her neighbors.” 
—Ex. 3:22. 


“Let them ASK every man of his neighbor.”—Ex. 11:2 

The above quotations are from the Revised Version 
and are true to the original. The King James renders 
this “borrow,” but the word “borrow” is a mistake 
and is not to be found in the original. 


It is certain, from the reading of Exodus 9:20, 
_ that some of the Egyptians “feared the word of the 
Lord” and gave of their supply of gold to the Israel- 
ites. Says the Bible: 

“And Jehovah gave the people favor in the sight of the 
Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked.” 
—Exodus 12:36. 

But it may be asked—“Where did these Egyptians 
get so much gold?” That question has been answered 
by T. M. Davis, in his discovery of the immense 
wealth of the ancient Egyptians, in gold. In 1905, he 
discovered a royal tomb of the 18th Dynasty (the time 
of the Exode of Israel). It was examined in the 
presence of the Duke of Connought and Prof. Maspero. 
They found a most lavish display of gold. “A chariot, 


76 


THE BIBLE 





Reverse. , Obverse. 


CLAY TABLET FROM TELL EL-AMARNA, IN UPPER EGYPT, inscribed with a letter in cunes 
form characters from Abi-milki (Abimelech), governor of Tyre, to the king of Hgypt. 
About B.C. 1450 — (British Museum, No. 88-10-13, 51) 


77 


THE BIBLE 





large enough to hold two persons . . . encrusted with 
gold,” “gold masks,” “a box stool, resplendent with 
gold and blue enamel,” “plaster heads coated with 


gold, “gold handled mirrors,” and many other ar- 
ticles of gold. They also found an inscription, saying 
that the gold had been brought “from the lands of the 
south.” The London Times, commenting on this dis- 
covery said: 

“It has revealed one striking fact—the ostentatious, 
not to say vulgar, display of wealth which distinguished 
Egyptian society in the latter days of the 18th Dynasty. 
We had learned from the Tell-el-Amarna tablets that 
Egypt was at that time the California of the civilized 
world—a land where, as the correspondents of Pharaoh 
reiterate ‘gold is as plentiful as dust,’ and in the pro- 
fusion with which the precious metal has been lavished 
on the contents of the newly discovered tomb their words 
receive a striking illustration. There was nothing, how- 
ever mean or insignificant, which was not literally plated 
with the gold of the desert mines.” 

Thus the whole matter is cleared up, and we have 
the fact, as plain as day, that God sent the Israelites 
out of Egypt, rich in gold, to enable them to build the 
Tabernacle, its furniture and utensils, besides that 
wonderful ark, overlaid with gold, with gold cherubims 
covering a golden mercy-seat. 


All must agree, in view of these wonderful discov- 
eries, that Moses wrote the truth, and that he wrote 
at the very time these books claim to have been 
written. 

The bodies of the first-born of Egypt, slain by the 
destroying angel, on that memorable night when, the 
Israelites slew their first paschal lamb, have been 
found among the rubbish in the old burying grounds 
of Memphis, thus fulfilling the statement of Hosea 
Ne 

For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt 
shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the 


78 


THE BIBLE 





pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: 
thorns shall be in their tabernacles.” 


The route of the Israelites has been traced and 
their camping places in the desert located, and only a 
few years ago, the mummy of 
Rameses 2nd, the oppressor of the 
Children of Israel, was found and 
placed in Boolak Museum in North- 
ern Egypt. 


The empire of the Hittites, whose 
existence was denied by infidels, 
has now been discovered and is 
bearing another testimony to the 
truth of the blessed old Bible. 


Another wonderful discovery 
was the location of ancient Nin- 
evah. It was the boast of infidelity MS 
of the eighteenth century that the RAMESES II 
book of Jonah was a fable, and that 
Ninevah was only a fabled city; 
that there never was such a city, when, Lo, God 
caused, as it were, the very ground to open and re- 
veal the secrets that were buried there for ages. 





Early in the last century, an English gentleman, 
Mr, Rich, by name, was traveling in the East. While 
visiting Mosul, on the Tigris, he discovered what the 
natives called the Tomb of Jonah. He commenced to 
excavate and the result was the discovery of Ninevah. 


They have found the ruins of the palace of Esarhad- 
don, the son of Sennacherib. Many other discoveries 
were made here. In one sculpture is pictured the 
invasion of Palestine; the name of Hezekiah, King 
of Judah, is given, and the number of prisoners taken 
is mentioned. In still another may be seen the siege 


79 


THE BIBLE 





of Jerusalem, so remarkably like the language of Eze- 
kiel, that it leaves no doubt in the mind of the honest 
investigator as to the truthfulness of Ezekiel’s pro- 


phecy, in Ezekiel, 4th chapter. 


Many cylinders and tablets have been found, some 
of them containing the names of such Bible charac- 


> 


MOABITE STONE 





ters as Abraham, 
Noah, Enoch and 
others. 

In the year 1868, 


the Moabite stone was — 


discovered. It is the 
oldest alphabetic in- 
scription known, and 


gives us, as it were, a - 


lost chapter in the 
historical portion of 
Biblical literature. It 


could- well be added — 


to the second book of 
Kings, as it proves 
the truthfulness of 
that part of God’s 
word. | 
Recent discoveries 
have proven beyond 
doubt, that the Jews 
of the Royal period 


| were an_ intelligent 


nd cultured people, 
acquainted with the 
arts and sciences. 


The finding of the inscription in the pool of Siloam 
has made it clear that they were an educated people. 
This inscription gives us the characters used at the 
time the Book of Jsaiah was written, and should for- 


THE BIBLE 





ever destroy the opposition of skeptics and higher crit- 
ics to that inspired book. These things also give the lie 
to the statements of Colonel Ingersoll, that the Israel- 
ites were “poor, wretched; without education, art or 
power.” 


Thomas Paine said of Moses: 


“He had been educated among the Egyptians, who 
were a people as well skilled in science, and particularly 


astronomy, as any people of their day.”’ —Age of Reason, 
Page 17. 


Dr. Edgar J. Banks, Field Director of the Babylon- 
ian Expedition of the University of Chicago, has writ- 
ten concerning that most wonderful find in the Pool 
of Siloam of the tablet showing the work of King 
Hezekiah in bringing water into the city of Jerusalem: 





SILOAM INSCRIPTION 


“In the year 1880 a truant school boy was bathing in 
the Pool of Siloam, and when near the mouth of the 
aqueduct he slipped and fell into deep water. As he came 
to the surface, he noticed on a stone in the wall some 
marks resembling writing. The story goes that when 
the boy returned to school and was about to be whipped 
for running away, he told the teacher of the inscription, 


81 


THE BIBLE 





thus hoping to escape punishment: His teacher, Dr. 
Schick, heard the boy’s story, hastened to the pool, and 
there he found the oldest known Hebrew inscription. 
Though trained explorers had frequently visited the spot, 
it was a native school boy who first saw the writing. 


“To copy the inscription was difficult, for at times the 
water half covered it, and Dr. Schick had to sit in the 
mud, holding a candle in one hand that he might see to 
work with the other. A deposit of lime, half concealing 
the characters, had to be removed with acid before they 
were recognizable. Of such great value was the inscrip- 
tion that several impressions of it were taken, and then 
the stone was left unguarded just as it had been for three 
thousand years. Suddenly it disappeared. 


“Some time later, as Dr. Wheeler of Jerusalem was 
attending his patients, he overheard a native woman 
telling of a stone her husband had found, and of which 
he was making a copy to sell to Europeans. His sus- 
picion that the woman was speaking of the stone from 
the Pool of Siloam was aroused; search in the native’s 
hut revealed the valuable inscription, though it was 
broken into several pieces as it was cut from the wall. 
With it was the copy which was being made. Both the 
stone and its copy were seized and sent to the Constan- 
pnuple Museum, where they may now be seen side by 
side. 


“The Siloam inscription is one of the most valuable 
treasures the ruins of Palestine have yet yielded, for it is 
the oldest known writing in the pure Hebrew of the 
Bible, coming from the time the historical books were 
written. It contains but six lines and they are partly 
broken away, yet their complete translation is possible. 


It reads: 

‘Behold the excavation. While the excavators 
were still lifting up the pick, each toward his neigh- 
‘bor, and while there were yet three cubits to ex- 
cavate, there was heard the voice of one man calling 
to his neighbor, for there was an excess of rock 

on the right hand and on the left. And after that, 
on the day of the excavating, when the excavators 
had struck pick against pick, one against another, 
the waters flowed from the spring to the pool for a 
distance of twelve hundred cubits. And a hundred 


82 


THE BIBLE 





cubits was the height of the rock over the head of 

the excavators.’ 

“The inscription bears neither name nor date, yet its 
well-formed, rounded characters indicate that it is nearly 
as ancient as the Moabite stone. Scholars are now agreed 
that this was the pool and the conduit which King Heze- 
kiah built to bring the water into the city.” —Jhe Buble 
and The Spade, Pages 133-5. . 


Daniel’s mention of “Belshazzar, the King of the 
Chaldeans,” was ridiculed because no such name ap- 
peared in any ancient history nor in any literature of 
the past, although the names of all the Chaldean kings 
were known, as well as the time of their reigns, leaving 
no place for Belshazzar to fill in. In these lists, the 
name Nabonidus appeared to occupy the very place 
and time where Belshazzar’s name should have ap- 
peared if the Bible record were true. This led to the 
belief among “higher critics” and other doubters, that 
Daniel’s writings were merely fables, until in 1854, 
Sir Henry Rawlinson unearthed, in “Ur of the Chal- 
dees,” some terra-cotta cylinders, on which were found 
inscriptions by Nabonidus, in which he refers to “Bel- 
shazzar, my eldest son.” In 18/76, Sir Henry Rawlin- 
son made a still more wonderful discovery, at ancient 
Babylon. His workmen brought to light a number of 
jars, in which were found over two thousand cuneiform 
tablets covered with wedge-shaped characters. On one 
of these was found an inscription written by Cyrus, 
King of Persia, the conqueror of Babylon, mentioned 
by Daniel, in which he (Cyrus) tells the story of the 
taking of Babylon, and after saying that Nabonidus 
fled and was afterwards taken prisoner, he adds that 
on a certain night “the King died.” Nabonidus lived 
long after the taking of Babylon, therefore he could 
not have been the king who died that night. It was 
his eldest son who shared the throne or reigned jointly 
with him, and that was Belshazzar. In another docu- 


83 


THE BIBLE 


ment, an interesting legal paper was found. It was 
an inscription dated, “in the third year of Belshazzar,” 
with the name spelled slightly different. . 


The elevation of Daniel to third ruler in Babylon, 
in itself, shows that he was promoted as high as it 
was in the power of Belshazzar to exalt him, because 
he, himself, was Only the second ruler, under his 
father Nabonidus, with whom he reigned jointly as 
regent or king; and when Nabonidus fled during the 
siege, Belshazzar was alone on the throne of Babylon. 
This verifies Daniel’s word: 

“In that night was Belshazzar the King of the Chal- 
deans slain.”’ —Dan. 5:30. 

All over the East, the spade of the explorer and 
the archeologist is bringing to light facts that con- 
firm the truth of Holy Writ, proving positively that it 
is the Word of God, and was written at the very time 
it purports to have been. The historicity of the Bible 
is firmly fixed and can never be moved while time 
lasts. There is not another work in the world that is 
so firmly established. Not one of the classical writ- 
ings has back of it the evidence of historical cer- 
tainty that the Bible has, and the Christian can rest 
easy on this fact. 


‘ 


THE TESTIMONY OF CHRIST 


S TRONG as the foregoing historical references are 

in affirming the acceptance of the Old Testament, 
long before the advent of Christ, the seal that our 
Saviour placed upon its inspiration and truthfulness, 
should put a quietus on every critic, doubter and dis- 
puter. 


Before we can throw away the Old Testament, 
we must repudiate Jesus Christ, we must blot out the 
record of His life from the pages of history, and deny 
the New Testament, which we have-already so firmly 


84 


THE BIBLE 


established historically; for Christ quoted the Old 
Testament as the inspired Word of God, and as pro- 
phecy; showing that all portions of that book, includ- 
ing the Law, the Psalms, Prophets, and historical por- 
tion, had in them prophetic utterances, pointing to Him 
as Messiah. He said: 


“Had ye believed Moses ye would have believed me, 
for he wrote of me.” —John 5:46. 

And after His resurrection, when He appeared to 
the eleven as they sat at meat, the record is: 

“And he said unto them, These are the words which I 
spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things 
must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, 
and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me. 


“Then opened he their understanding, that they might 
understand the Scriptures.”—Luke 24:44, 45. 

And of Christ’s conversation with the two dis- 
ciples, on their way to Emmaus; just before His 
‘meeting with the eleven, before noted, it is written— 

“And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he ex- 
pounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things con- 
cerning himself.””—Luke 24:27. 

So happy were these disciples during this Scrip- 
ture lesson that Jesus gave them, and with the light 
He shed upon the Sacred Word, that they said— 

“Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked 
with us by the way, and while he opened to us the Scrip- 
tures?”—Luke 24:3 

Christ and 4 followers constantly quoted the 
Old Testament Scriptures. 


TESTIMONY OF THE DISCIPLES 


HERE are in the New Testament, many refer- 
ences to the books of Moses; to the Psalms, to 
the books of Job, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Hosea, 
Joel, Amos, Jonah, Zechariah, Zephaniah and Malacm, 
in fact, more than 630 references to the Old Testa- 


85 


THE BIBLE 





ment are scattered throughout the whole New Testa- 
ment. It is quoted from Genesis to Malachi, just as we 
use it today. Paul, writing to Timothy, said— © 

“From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures 
which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through 
faith which is in Christ Jesus.” —2-T7imothy 3:15. 

The Jews were firm believers in the Old Testa- 
ment in the days of Christ and His Apostles. Jesus 
said to them-— 

_ “Ye search the Scriptures.” —John 5:39 Revised: Edi- 
tion, 

Paul, in his discourse at Antioch, addressing him- 
self to the Jews, refers to the people and rulers at 
Jerusalem and their opposition to the Gospel, and 
says— | 

“For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, 


because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the 
prophets which are read every Sabbath day.”—4cts 13:27. 


James says— ‘ 

“For Moses of old time hath in every city them that 
preach him, being read in the synagogues every Seb St 
day.”—A cts 15:21. 

But why quote more? It is enough to say we Hae 
proven that the Old Testament was known at least 
300 years before Christ; that is was evidently taught 
to our Saviour by His mother, when He was a child, 
and preached by Him and His Apostles, who estab- 
lished their every claim by its authority, exactly as 
we have it today. 


NECESSITY FOR EARLY TRANSLATIONS 


ITHIN a comparatively short time after the 

outpouring of the pentecostal blessing on the 
church, the disciples had preached the Gospel in many 
cities in Syria, Asia Minor, Europe and Northern 
Africa. Even the Apostles of our Lord, lived to see 
it take root in Colosse, Thessalonica, Corinth, Philippi 
and Jerusalem, as well as Antioch, Cesarea and 


86 





THE BIBLE 


Rome. Indeed, before the death of John, there were 
churches in many cities and towns. The Gospel had 
gone into Egypt, to the city of Alexandria, and 
thousands had received the message of truth. 


All of the’ churches were desirous of having the 
Scriptures in their own language and this necessitated 
translating them, as they were written in the Greek 
~ and Hebrew tongues only. The value of these different 
versions and translations cannot be overestimated, not 
only for comparison, for by them it has been estab- 
lished that the different churches had the whole Bible 
as we have it today, long before the close of the sec- 
ond century. In fact there is very strong evidence 
in support of the conclusion that the Apostolic 
Churches had the whole Bible about the end of the 
first century. 


We shall now notice two versions that are of 
exceedingly great value in proving the antiquity of 
the Scriptures of Truth—they are the Peshito and 
Old Latin versions. 


THE PESHITO VERSION 


HE Peshito, meaning “simple” or “faithful,” 1s 

a literal translation, and not a paraphrase. This 
version was no doubt the product of the middle of 
the second century; was completed before A. D., 150, 
and its beginning no doubt extends into the Apostolic- 
times. It is just possible that parts of this version 
were made under the guidance of John, or some of 
his followers. It included all of our Bible except the 
second and third Epistles of John, the second Epistle 
of Peter, the Epistle of Jude, and the Book of Reve- 
lation. IT DID NOT INCLUDE ANY WRITINGS 


87 


THE BIBLE 


THAT ARE NOT FOUND IN OUR PRESENT 
SCRIPTURES. We know, that in the time of Eph- 
riam Syrus (378 A. : 

D.), it was still in use > eR MAIAAD 

in the Syrian church- We oon ° m= 
es. It was written in 23 GAY AS 

. Q) 
the Syro-Chaldaic ‘or 72 WSIS3 oN Sv<dI94, 


Aramaic, the common 7A IM<dp 
dialect of Palestine at TOEngustn Looe 
A Werton 


that time. ae eee 
3S 
In the British mu- Hoan, wars 


seum is a copy of this ON: Cae 
version which was BAT XS TRrc Ges 
written in the city of ea ‘Masaya. 
Amid, A. D. 464, and 7909 Nas y<.455 
is called the oldest ~ czas sic 


dated Bible known. Bi sS45 SOS 
From the _ Peshito To <7 


version were translat- <Ag} 
ed the Arabic, Persian 


and Armenian. = eae aren 
Dr. Murdock spent MANOS Nae 
many years in trans- SO TIA RAIA oo 
lating the Peshito “Mor A Se oe 
Syriac into English = -aqgyye S AE 

and it is regarded Sat SSAA 
by some of the best ist isn 
scholars as far su- “IRA x 

perior to any of the 
more popular rend- ' 
erings of the Scrip- THE SYRIAC MANUSCRIPT 


“tay The oldest dated Biblical manu-~ 
ne . tA today. script in the world. 
Certaiieit >is 25 that (British Museum) 


many otherwise obscure or ambiguous passages 
are much clarified in this version. 


88 


THE BIBLE 





THE.OLD LATIN VERSION 


HEN there was the old Latin version, from which 
Jerome made the Latin Vulgate, which is still 
the authorized Catholic version. The old Latin version 


£TCON GELCONABIT CACY 
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TERRAECAUDTREeG~ 
SAPIENTIAMSALO 
oe MONS . Le 
Cuwau TEMINMUN 
OUSSPSEXICRIT 
ABHOMING 
AMBULAT PERLOCAARIDA 
QUACRENSREGUIEMET 
NONINUENIT 
TUNCODICIT 
REUERTARINDOMuUuGM 
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UN OeeX) U)} 
CTUCNIENSINUCNITERD 
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SCOPISMUNDATAQIET 
ORNATAGYD | 
TUN CUADITE Fagsumil 
Sepremaliossps 
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CTINTRANTESDABITANDs: 
ETRIUNTNOUISSIAIA 
hoannissl bias 


LATIN GOSPEL—SIXTH CENTURY (Matt. 12:42-45) 
(British Museum) 


“lL coc at 





was known and used by Tertullian, who was born A.D. 
160, and died about A.D. 240. It was probably trans- 
lated from the Greek, about A.D. 150 to A.D. 160 
It omitted Hebrews, James, and 2nd Peter, thus leav- 
ing out only three of our present New Testament 
Ronks. 

89 


THE BIBLE 





Combining these two versions, the Peshito and 
the Old Latin, we have our Bible as it is today, with 
the exception of the 2nd Epistle of Peter. It must be 
stated, too, that they were made up of our present 
Bible books and no others. 


What, then, becomes of the infidel lie, about the 
Council of Nice selecting the books by vote and mak- 
ing up our canon of Scripture, A. D., 325? 


These two versions, then, are of monumental im- 
portance, since all the Christian churches received 
them as God’s Inspired Word as early as A. D. 150 
to A. D. 175. They came through the fire clean as 
a whip, without any other literary claimant to this 
high authority. — 


He VUE GAME, 


T was from the Old Latin that Jerome made his 

Latin Vulgate. About A. D. 383, he finished his 
revision of the New Testament, and at the age of 
sixty, translated the Old Testament from the Hebrew 
into Latin, at Bethlehem. This Latin Vulgate of 
Jerome, was started at the request of Demascus, then 
Bishop of Rome, who died the same year this revision 
of the New Testament was completed and therefore 
did not live to see the completion of Jerome’s work. 
This revision and translation is still the authorized 
Roman Catholic Bible, and it was from this that the 
Douay Bible, with the Rhemish New Testament, was 
translated. It might be added that, every English 
Bible for over a thousand years was translated from 
the Vulgate. In making the Vulgate, Jerome also con- 
sulted the Greek, and speaks of his work as his 
“Restoration of the New Testament to harmonize with 
the Greek.” 


90 


THE BIBLE 





CODEX VATICANUS 


HE oldest Bibles we have today are the Codex 
Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Alexandrianus, 
and Codex Ephraemi, which we will consider in the 


order named. 


The Codex Vaticanus is 


beautiful 


uncial manuscript of the Greek Bible, and is kept very 


Y 
ag NSE ROMER 
a ale ACIAEYON TOCKT PY 
“ne pCwNETOYCN w 
Foyercoyny. EAETAN 
HMATOCKYENCTOMS 
TisepemloyHres Ere 
Ke TOM NEY MAK oy 
Bac EUTONEPCMN KS: 
exp y TEN 6AM THB A 
AEIRAY A Oy arheaa ara 
cr AN TONAE TUN TK 
ACAETEIGRACIAEYS Ne 
CUNKYPOCEMEKNE AE 
Dae ate Raed paeg da | 
mMCNHCORYPIOC TE 
AHAKE DY Pie TSCA 
CHMHNEN MOIOIKO 
AOMHNCAIAY TWOIKON 
ene OY CAAHM THEN 
THILO; AAIK EITC Eerie” 
OY NY MINE KTS yEon-y0 
KY TOY ECT WO KCAYTY 
META VOY KEIRA A Lac 
Riag RM AeEOy CEM 
TRNEN TH OF AAT AGI Ky 
KOMEN EW TON O1KONTS 
KY/TO IC PAH AOYsFec 
OK KA ACK HNCDCAS 
Ente OY CAAN MOCO! 
OyN RATATAY CTONY: 
SIKOY CINE OHET Twos 
RY TMDOLEN Tw TONw 
MY TOY EN Xp yciwras 
Ena PY Pia KAICN dS 
CECI MESIN MONK 
KTHNGNCYNTOICSA 
ROSS OVERAT SYRAS 
oc TERE MENOICES 
roic ONTOY RYTON! , 
POY CAAN MIRAI RATAN 
CAN TECOIA Kiep yao! 
Bee hr Bi NT c10yYa, 
CODEX VATICANUS 
Fourth Century 
(Vatican Library, Rome) 


91 


guardedly in the Vatican 
Library, at Rome. It is 
very ancient, dating prob- 
ably from the beginning 
of the fourth century. It 
is beautifully written, on 
the finest vellum, and oc- 
cupiess./9. pages: sr. 
Tischendorf assigns it to 
A. D. 330 or before, and 
expresses the belief that 
it is one of the fifty cop- 
ies of the Bible which 
Eusebius had prepared 
for the churches of Con- 
stantinople, by order of 
Constantine. Although 
this manuscript 1s among 
the oldest it is not consid- 
ered as reliable as many 
of the others which are 
later in date but copies 
from still older versions. 


The Vatican manuscript 
was unfortunately made 
during the most corrupt 
age of the church when 
the copyists were puppets 
of Eusebius and Constan- 
tine. 


THE BIBLE 





CODEX SINAITICUS 


‘THE Codex Sinaiticus, another version as old if not 
older than the Vatican Manuscript, was brought to 
light in the year 1859. Fifteen years before this date, 


KAILAOOFH TWCMIF 
MAKALHAOIPHE 
STEMEATARAITS YANO 
FLAN APECH TCDRAS! 
AEIKACIAEYCELAN 
TIACTINIKALHEIPECE 
TTORACIAEITOMIPA 
TMAKAIETIOIHCE 
OyTWwOC 
KALANOPUTTOCHN 
KYYAAIOCENCOY 
COLCTHITTOAEERAI 
ON OMAAY FOOMAP 
BhOXKAIOCOTOYIN! 
TOY TOU YCEMEEIOY: 

OYKEICAIOYER _ 
PYAHCRENIAMEL 

CHNAILXKMAAU 
TOCESIIHAMHN 
HXMAAWTEYCEN 
NAROYXOAONO 
COPRACIAEYCRA 
RYAWWNOCKAIHA 
TOY IWtAICEpe 
CITH EY! ATRLPAM! 
NABARAACADUY 
PEATPOUCAYTOTISAI 
TOONOMAAYTHE 
€ECOH SP ENACT 
METAAAAZAIAT 
THCTOYCONCGIC _ 
ENEACYCEN AY THe? 
ERY TWEICKYNAI”™ 
KAKALHN TOKOPA 
CION KAAFITWE tAsikem 
KAIOTEH KOYCEH cay 
TOTOYKACIAECIIC 

rypOC TAM ACYNH 
KOHCANTHNNO 

NERDY MOKEIPATAI 


CODEX SINAITICUS 
Fourth Century 


Dr. Tischendorf had spent 
some time in the monastery 
of Mt. Sinai. He noticed 
one of the monks about to 
kindle a fire with old manu- 
scripts, thought by the 
monks to be worthless. His 
anxiety to get some of 
these manuscripts, aroused 
their suspicion; however, 
on his departure he was 
permitted to take with him 
about forty-three sheets of 
the oldest Greek manu- 
script of the Old Testa- 
ment he had ever seen. The 
doctor deposited these in 
the Royal Library at Leip- 
zig and gave it the name 
of “Codex Frederick Au- 
gustus.” 


Although he came recom- 
mended by the Emperor of 
Russia, he could not gain 
access to more of them 
again until 1859. Through 
his friendship with an old 
monk he was handed a 


(Royal Library, Leipzig) bundle of parchment, wrap- 
ped in red cloth, for examination. The Doctor’s de- 
light knew no bounds when he discovered this bundle 


92 





THE BIBLE 


to contain the oldest Greek manuscript of the Bible 
in existence. It consists of 346 leaves, of very fine 
vellum, 199 of which contain 22 books of the Old 
Testament, beginning at Chronicles; and in the re- 
maining leaves he found the New Testament entire. 
This manuscript is in the Library at Petrograd, and 
is priceless in value. Perhaps this Codex should be 
classed with the Codex Vaticanus as to reliability 
for the same reasons given concerning that particular 


Codex. 


More is said of the Codex Vaticanus and Codex 
Sinaiticus, under other headings giving the writer’s 
frank opinion of their value in textual criticism. 


CODEX ALEXANDRIANUS 


S ECOND only in importance to the Codex Vatican- 
us and Codex Sinaiticus, is the famous Codex 


Alexandrianus, now in the British Museum. It is 
a Greek version, written in the uncial form of letters. 
This manuscript was written in the middle of the fifth 
century and is on vellum, very fine and thin. It con- 
tains both Old and New Testaments, not entirely com- 
plete, as about ten pages of the Old Testament and 
_ part of Matthew are missing. It reposed for cen- 
turies in Alexandria, in Egypt; hence its name. Cyril 
Lucar, Patriarch of Alexandria, presented it with 
other MSS. to King Charles the First, in 1628, just 
17 years after the King James or Authorized Version 
was issued, and it is most highly prized by the English 
people. It is indeed priceless. 


93 


THE BIBLE 





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CODEX ALEXANDRIANUS 
(Luke 12:54—13:4) 
Fifth Century 
(British Museum, Royal Ms. I-D. V-VIII) 


94 


THE BIBLE 





CODEX EPHRAEMIT 


PROP cate very valuable manuscript is that known 
as the Codex Ephraemi. It is an ancient Pa- 
limpses and is kept in the library of Paris. Critics 
place this manuscript next to the Vatican and Sinaitic 





WED eepwonr 


We I: te poYe, 


CODEX EPHRAEMI 
(Portion of 1-Timothy 3:16) 


in age. This ancient writing is read with great dith- 
culty, for as its name implies, it was overwritten, 
about the twelfth century, with some of the Greek 
works of the Syrian Father, Ephraem, after the orig- 
inal had been sufficiently erased. In 1842 a chemical 
preparation (tincture Giobertini) was applied to the 
leaves to vivify the underwriting. Much that was il- 
legible was restored, but the manuscript was very 
nearly ruined and was stained. Dr. Tischendorf oc- 
cupied himself, from December, 1840, to September 
1841, in examining it, and gave to the world a com- 
plete copy, publishing first the New Testament in 1843 
and the Old Testament in 1845. 


ANTIQUITY PROVEN 


A REMARKABLE testimony to the antiquity of 

these four old versions, is the fact that they were 
written in the wcial characters, closely resembling 
those in the manuscripts recovered from Herculaneum. 


There is no doubt of the antiquity of these pre- 
served; as it is well known that Herculaneum and 
Pompeii were destroyed by an eruption of Vesuvius, 
A. D. 79. There can, therefore, be no daubt of the 


25 


THE BIBLE 








CONSTANTINE —A STATUE 


96 


THE BIBLE 





antiquity of the four manuscripts of the Bible before 
mentioned. They were written not later than the be- 
ginning of the fourth century, while this form and 
style of writing was still in use. Hence these MSS. 
were written not more than 215 years after the death 
of John. 

Original versions of Wycliffe and Tyndale are still 
preserved, and although the Wycliffe Bible is over 
500 years old and Tyndale’s version over 400 
years old, no sensible person would dispute these 
works; nor the works from which they were trans- 
lated, as these also are still preserved. 


Yet, in our old Bibles before mentioned, we have 
books that were written less than 300 years after the 
events occurred, and not more than 235 years after 
the Gospels and Epistles were written. It is abso- 
lutely certain that the originals of Matthew, Mark, 
Luke, John, Paul and the other New Testament writ- 
ers, were in existence, and probably used or consulted 
in making these versions. 


CONSTANTINE AND THE BIBLE 


BOUT 331 A. D., Constantine, although he was 

only a pretender, as far as real Christianity is 
concerned, and who was, at best, half heathen, by 
royal decree ordered fifty copies of the Bible to be 
made and given to the churches, especially at Con- 
stantinople. 


The following is a copy of his letter to Eusebius: 


“VICTOR CONSTANTINE MAXIMUS 
AUGUSTUS, TO EUSEBIUS: 


“Tt happens, through the favoring of God our Saviour, 
that great numbers have united themselves to the most 
holy church in the city which is called by my name. It 
seems, therefore highly requisite, since that city is rapidly 
advancing in prosperity and in all other respects, that the 
number of churches should be increased. Do you there- 


97 


THE BIBLE 





fore, receive with all readiness my determination on this 
behalf. I have thought it expedient to instruct your 
Prudence to order FIFTY COPIES OF THE SACRED 
SCRIPTURES, the provision and use of which you know 
to be most needful for the instruction of the church, to 
be written on parchment, in a legible manner, and in a 
commodious and portable form, by transcribers thorough- 
ly practiced in their art. The procurator of the diocese has 
also received instructions by letter from our Clemency 
to be careful to furnish all things necessary for the prep- 
aration of such copies; and it will be for you to take 
special care that they will be completed with as little de- 
lay as possible. You have authority, also, in virtue of 
this letter, to use TWO OF THE PUBLIC CARRIAGES 
FOR THEIR CONVEYANCE, by which arrangement 
the copies, when fairly written, will most easily be for- 
warded for MY PERSONAL INSPECTION; and one of 
the deacons of your church may be entrusted with this 
service, who, on his arrival here, shall experience my lib- 
erality. God preserve you, beloved brother.” —Eusebius, 
Life of Constantine, Book IV. Chapters 34-37. 


These versions were made according to direction; 
thoroughly inspected by the Emperor, and it is alto- 
gether likely that at least two of the most ancient 
manuscripts so highly prized at present, the Vaticanus 


and Ephremi, and perhaps the Sinaiticus were 
among them. 


OTHER OLD MANUSCRIPTS 


R EFERENCE to these four ancient manuscripts, 

known as Codex Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus, 
Codex Alexandrianus and Codex Ephraemi, is suffi- 
cient for our purpose; however, besides these which 
are the most ancient manuscripts of the whole Bible, 
we have hundreds of others in both the uncial and 
cursive style of writing. Some of these are known as 
Palimpses, meaning twice written. When parchment 
was very expensive, the under writing was rubbed un- 
til the parchment was fit for other writing. By chemi- 
cal means, many of these old writings have been re- 


98 





THE BIBLE 


OTHER VALUABLE MANUSCRIPTS 


o5 TI HY SS & 
BAKVTR “OM O wy “~ 
SRS ASH Oe Ae as 


of DARA: i RAVTS S 
aeons 


Bese: oS Mo S 


ee 
A 4 Kens Posen 3 
esis. IW mony 
oO IROL BIN, is 
ron. he BW OD: 
ngs sore Se Bee, 
reyes 
“3 BMWA wR, 5 
=: gay wrtorn 0A ps 
she ROM ROK OND TY 
measasee hidsdata 
a ee AO pO GOR OTL, Me 
NM woes gn Mp 
= NF a ‘SRQON 
of O° Gs 
Queens: poss tatny Doane 
ox gems si aye aly og DOB oR 
RM BREN ON NOOO TE 
panne S25 a7 VOM 
OS DANG” MN BAO OR 
OSAMU ep MOLL Nero: 
whe NAL Naa 1Qgu. fd 
owe oxnn 5 wacngs 
PORWAN DANA LY oR 
“WROTE AY os yousde 
oA oe ‘0 
r Sapcsny’ egy 3 ma suangh ws 
Qaven sad “HO wen gy 
AGA -ax Bh 9 CIT AG 
Raeey © 3 ITQO oe 
30 “sf IR 
“9 WIRD NW ‘ay at 


SAMARITAN MANUSCRIPT 
(Deuteronomy 1:44—11:7) 
AL eels 61219 
(Cambridge Univ. Library) 


99 


cea | 


mt NUDNHYE 6 WE: 
SG PPRU NIAC Coe 
(PD BRITCX AGN &¢ 
(satCae. Anup 
LICE NEC YUH 
er HpCuin C08 
MEAT CHORE 
CD IX ALG PNA Xa 
MINE F tPA: 
RCE pOvripagnre 
a" Cece dawe €: Cap woe 
RECO ERO PERCHES 
ee oe Oe eS ee 
UE AS ERS a Aa 
AEPEPOCCIE GIES 
NOD preeiee ee 
Epc "wh VORG RCE Noe 
EG ROLGN 
"CCOOOP ECD Whettags 
A LE MS EAS OE Cae 
TINOLCHIV SDE 
TP CEvrer’ ~wounRG: 


LNG PCC PUL Me. 
‘ od NAVE sere. 


Eprecrewsecgxa 
bso} MECCA CII 
G FOAMMOMEL 
Pee COW PCA 
-COPINOKEXY 

OCU BUCELROW ele 
s° Pate LOCH SGanes 

COIN NOOO E o-ceae 
ae CK COoOrY 
POININ ER PERU I 


COPTIC MANUSCRIPT 
(Luke 5:5-9) 
Highth Century 


THE BIBLE 





stored, and thus our books of Scriptures contained in 
these manuscripts confirm our more ancient writings 
and manuscripts. 


Up to 1890, there were 1500 ancient documents 
preserved to us in this way and by other means, of 
which there were 125 in Uncial, the oldest form of 
Greek, and over 1400 in Cursive writing. 


The Unical letters are rounded capitals. The word 
Uncial means ounce or inch, and refers to the most 
ancient form of writing, peculiar on account of the 
large size of the letters used. This form of writing 
was not used later than the beginning of the ninth 
century. 


The Cursive style of writing, is what the name im- 
plies, that is—running—where the letters are joined 
without raising the pen, as in our script. This style, 
although used quite early, was not universally adopted 
until the ninth century. 


Besides the foregoing manuscripts, which so fully 
establish the authenticity of the Old Book, there are 
many others that might be mentioned. The last twen- 
ty-five years, before the beginning of the war, were 
perhaps the most fruitful years in the discovery of 
ancient manuscripts. In Egypt and in Arabia, almost 
one hundred fragments of the Bible, and especially of 
the New Testament, have been discovered, along with 
hundreds of papyri on other subjects, such as court 
records, private letters and other documents: thus en- 
abling our scholars to become familiar with the Greek 
and Syriac actually spoken by our Lord and His dis- _ 
ciples, as well as throwing new light on many Bible 
expressions; so that we may know that in our latest 
versions we have the New Testament, about as clearly 
expressed as though we had the autograph copies of 
the Gospels and Epistles before us. 


100 


THE BIBLE 





One remarkable find, was a leaf out of a pocket 
Bible carried by an Egyptian Christian in the third 
century. It was written on poor papyrus, in an or- 
dinary, fair hand, and is a good illustration of the 
New Testaments carried by poor Christians in the 
days of the Christian Martyrs. 








From Cobern’s New Archaeological Discoveries 
LEAF FROM MATTHEW'S GOSPEL 
Third Century 
No ancient book known today stands on as firm 
foundation as the Bible. 


Dr. Milligan says: 
“We may take it that in all substantial particulars the 
words of the autographs have been recovered.” 


101 


THE BIBLE 


Not one of the classical writings, prized so highly 
today, can compare with the Bible historically. Take 
for example the writings of Sophocles. There is but 
one manuscript that scholars have access to, and that 
was written 1400 years after his death; and in the case 
of Virgil, there is only one complete manuscript, dat- 
ing from the fourth century; and although there are 
fragments of manuscripts of Virgil of later dates, 
perhaps several hundred, yet, of the New Testament 
alone, and of the entire Bible, they are numbered by 
the thousands. 


In 1902, Von Soden catalogued 2328 New Testa- 
ment manuscripts. Of these, about forty contain the 
whole or a part of the books of the New Testament; 
1716 MSS. contain portions of the Gospels besides 
581 of Acts, 628 of the Epistles of Paul and 219 of the 
book of Revelation. What more does the Christian 
want? 


ENGLISH VERSIONS 


OMING now to our English versions of the Bible; 

work on them was begun very early, although we 

did not have a full and complete translation into 
English until the days of John Wycliffe. 


The venerable Bede translated John’s Gospel into 
the Anglo-Saxon, finishing his work on his death bed. 
His last words, as he finished his dictation to his 
pupil who assisted him, were—‘True, it is finished.” 
Then, being raised on the couch, he chanted softly,— 
“Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the 
Holy Ghost.” His eyes then closed in the sleep of 
death to await the coming of the Son of God. This 
work was finished A. D. 735. 


Almost 150 years after the death of Bede, another 
translation was started by Alfred the Great, who 
‘worked on the Psalms. 


102 


THE BIBLE 





Following this, came the translation of the first | 
seven books of the Bible, by the Archbishop of Can- 
terbury, Aelfric. Several other short translations of 
the Psalms were made later, but as before noted, no 
complete translation was gvien in the English language 
until the latter part of the fourteenth century. 


ninegign pahypeppon qhipa burn bypis qhuarpoon 
pum ne dal a Fraps es rep obser, ri 
3 ¢ bea) 


Pp Poy pypum-mannum foonne paht sepancn 

ponneaxa pali hpihipoldon gyloan poms yprley qpelazel pee 

popfirton peprmnum, hlagonbe. rpyde dye peele gedyoon- 

hee oe yrainym seb sg) a OTA AE AGA IF OAS air 
n 2D is : -perrroh fndon 

hpi tyhd one hlapop ak paler. par pro Lica ras 


onupwm fiaccunr. pe rope ofchanaan Lanse. pen 

pererton prey Petel el ee OPS Ste prea “puhe- 
sm yepepuhe mw pyre Dacpap he ryhic ppage cpedon: 

mypahpam yppasche mb » beohe min peop. Jbeonpa oppe- 

clare neers pion paceapmbep “the pohee paam 

pam yibeyan oppose synpran. ophegumore pone lay-eLon 
ANGLO-SAXON—GENESIS 44:3-12 

Rarly Eleventh Century Translation of Aelfric, who died 1006. 
(British Museum) 


(WY GT RE DPE PRONN SE AEGON 


[N a treatise of this character, where brevity is 

sought for the obvious reason that it 1s intended 
for general circulation among those who would not 
care to read a large technical work, much must be 
omitted, and only a brief reference can be made to 
the more important translations ; hence we refer briefly 
to that grand Man of God, John Wycliffe, who amid 
the persecutions of his day, when every effort to give 
the Bible in the common tongue was met with cruel 
persecution, banishment, or death, broke away from 
the decrees of Roman pontiffs, and in the year 1382 
A. D., gave us the first translation of the entire Bible, 
into English. 


103 


THE BIBLE. 





This was before the art of printing was known, 
but notwithstanding this tremendous handicap, it had 
a wide circulation. He was brought to trial by his 
oppressors and condemned, but not executed. He 
died a natural death, but about thirty years after his 
death, his bones were dug up, burned, and his ashes 
scattered into the sea by the enemies of God’s Word. 


It is a disputed question whether this translation 
was really the work of Wycliffe, or of several of his 
disciples and supporters. Wycliffe is credited with 
this work, because it was through his efforts that it 
was made possible and at last brought out. I am in- 
clined to the opinion that it was the work of a number 
of individuals associated with Wycliffe, all working 
together. 


In the translator’s account of this work, we find 
these words: “with divers felawis and helpars’ and 
“manie gode felawis and kunnynge at the correccion 
of lus translacion.’ These statements appear in the 
copy which is preserved at the Bodleian Library, 
Oxford, England, and seem to indicate that while to 
Wycliffe belongs the honor of bringing it out, yet, 
other scholars gave much assistance in the real work 
of translating it. Wycliffe’s translation was made 
from the Latin Vulgate, and probably, instead of call- 
ing it the Wycliffe Bible, it might with more propriety 
be termed the Wycliffite version. 


All credit possible should be given to Wycliffe for 
what he did in giving the Bible to the common people 
in their own tongue. John Richard Green, in his 
Short History of the English people, has this to say 
on the effect of John Wycliffe’s writings, and of the 
Wycliffe Bible: 


“Wycliffe no longer looked for support to the learned 
or wealthier classes on whom he had hitherto relied. He 


104 





THE BIBLE 





appealed, and the appeal is memorable as the first of such 
a kind in our history, to England at large. With an 
amazing industry he issued tract after tract in the tongue 
of the people itself. The dry, syllogistic Latin, the ab- 
struse and involved argument which the great doctor had 
addressed to his academic hearers, were suddenly flung 
aside, and by a transition which marks the wonderful 
genius of the man, the schoolman was transformed into 
the pamphleteer. If Chaucer is the father of English poetry, 
Wycliffe is the father of our later English prose. The 
rough, clear, homely English of his tracts, the speech of 
the plowman and the trader of the day, though colored 
with the picturesque phraseology of the Bible, is in its 
literary use as distinctly a creation of his own as the style 
in which he embodied it, the terse vehement sentences, 
the stinging sarcasms, the hard antithesis which roused 
the dullest mind like a whip. 


“For the time his opponents seemed satisfied with his 
expulsion from the university, but in his retirement at 
Lutterworth he was forging during these troubled years 
the great weapon which, wielded by other hands than 
his own, was to produce so terrible an effect on the tri- 
umphant hierarchy. An earlier translation of the Scrip- 
tures, in part of which he was aided by his scholar Her- 
ford, was being revised and brought to the second form 
which is better known as ‘Wyclif’s Bible’.” 


TYNDALE’S TRANSLATION 


NEAT, came William Tyndale’s translation, of the 

New ‘Testament, about 1525. At this time the 
language of the Wycliffite version was fast becoming 
obsolete. Tyndale was determined that there should 
be an English Bible which could be read, not only by 
scholars and merchants, but by ploughboys as well, 
and procurable at so small a cost, that it could have a 
wider circulation. His association with the learned 
Erasmus, a profound Greek scholar, who made a 
Greek translation from the Latin, enabled him to give 
us the English New Testament. Tyndale’s translation 
was made with the Greek, the Vulgate, the Latin by 


105 


THE BIBLE 





GUTENBERG’S PRINTING PRESS 
Invented in 1440 


UTENBERG was the inventor of printing from type. 

In his press, shown above, the type was laid in its 
ease, face up on the board, the paper was placed on the 
type and pressed down upon it by means of the large 
screw and turning bar. 

Very little improvement was made on this press until 
the days of Benjamin Franklin, whose press is quite 
similar to the old Gutenberg press. 

Back in the days of Gutenberg, five years were con- 
sumed in the printing of the Holy Bible. Movable block 
types were used. Now 10,000 copies of books of the 
Bible are shot from great rotary presses per hour. 


ee Se | 





106 





THE BIBLE 


Erasmus, and Luther’s German versions before him. 


After being driven from his own beloved England, 
he took refuge in Hamburg, Germany, from thence he 
fled to Cologne, and then to Worms, where the book 
was printed ; and in spite of God’s enemies (the priests 
of Rome), the books were sent to England. The en- 
raged priests burned them in public squares, but only 
to see them increase until England was enlightened 
with the Word of God. 


Printing had been invented; and was accomplished 
first with blocks or wood cuts, and later with movable 
metallic type. Gutenberg was the inventor of printing, 
although Caxton is called the father of the printing 
press in England. Without doubt, however, Guten- 
berg has priority of claim as the inventor of printing. 
It is a noteworthy fact that the first book printed was 
the blessed old Bible. 


It must be remembered that while England was 
receiving her first Bible, other nations were equally 
as busy along the same line. Germany received Lu- 
ther’s Bible before Tyndale made his English trans- 
lation, and the Protestant princes gave the nation lib- 
erty to read it. Tyndale was arrested near Antwerp, 
for heresy through the agency of an emissary of King 
Henry VIII, acting with the clergy. After eighteen 
months imprisonment, in 1536, he was strangled and 
burned at the stake. His last words were a prayer— 
“Lord, open thou the King of England’s eyes.” It 
was the price he paid for giving England the Bible. 


THE CHAINED BIBLE 


THREE years after Tyndale’s death, King Henry 

VIII, who received from the pope thé title, “De- 
fender of the Faith,” and who condemned Luther as 
an “arch-heretic,”’ gave orders, notwithstanding the 


107 


THE BIBLE 





vicious opposition of the Romish priests, that the Bible. 


should be placed in every parish and village church 
in his dominion. Tyndale’s prayer was being an- 
swered. It was attached to the wall or pillar with a 
chain, and to this day is referred to as the “Chained 
Bible.” This was Coversdale’s revision. The Covers- 
dale Bible was not translated from the Hebrew, Greek, 
or Latin, but was probably a revision of Tyndale’s 
work, without the critical notes of Tyndale, so vio- 
lently opposed at that time; however, in the revision’s 
preface, he speaks of using others in“his work, in 
these words; “out of the Douche (Luther’s German) 
and the Latine.”’ It may be that he consulted these 
for comparison. Coversdale also assisted in the Gen- 
eva edition, a later revision. 


This Bible was also known as the “Treacle Bible,” 
because Jeremiah 8:22 was rendered, “Is there no tre- 
acle in Gilead.” 


There was a still more peculiar rendering in this 
Bible. Psalm 91:5 was translated: 

“Thou shalt not nede to be afrayed for eny bugges 
by night.” 

Even to the present time this Bible (issued 1549) 
is called by some “The Bug Bible’ on account of this 
strange rendering. 


OTHER OLD ENGEISH?BIBEES 


HEN came the Matthews Bible; dedicated to the 

king. This first appeared in 1537, was signed by 
Thomas Matthew, probably a pseudonym to conceal 
the real writer, as it was rather dangerous in those 
days of persecution, to edit, revise or translate this 
much hated Book. In 1539, still another version ap- 
peared, by Richard Taverner, a layman, though a 
scholar. This revision was in reality nothing more 


108 


THE BIBLE 


than clearing up of the language of the Matthews 
version. At the same time there was brought out a 
more elaborate folio edition, signed by the initials 
T.C. This was sanctioned by the archbishop and is 
called Crammer’s Bible. 


It was used as authority in the English church 
until 1568. 


THE GENEVA OR BREECHES BIBLE 


[TURING the reign of Mary I, who succeeded Ed- 

ward VI to the throne of England, a campaign 
of persecution was waged against Protestants. She 
had been educated in Spanish fashion—a devout Ro- 
man Catholic; her zeal for Catholicism and against 
reformers and the Bible, stained the pages of English 
History with persecution and butchery. The exiles 
fled to Geneva, which had become a republic, as early 
as 1536, under the leadership of John Calvin and 
other Protestant reformers. It opened its gates to the 
religious refugees of Italy, Spain, France and Eng- 
land. Here the work of translating and revising the 
Bible was carried on with great liberty, considering 
the times. 


Whittingham translated the New Testament, which 
translation was printed in 1557; and the whole Bible, 
in the year 1560. This is called the Geneva Bible, 
though sometimes referred to as the “Breeches Bible,” 
because of its rendering of the Hebrews word chagora 
—“breeches’—instead of “aprons,” as in the King 
James version, of Gen. 3:7. This was the most ele- 
gant and most popular of all Bibles, until superseded 
by our King James version. It was brought to Ameri- 
ca by the Pilgrim fathers and was used for many 
years, by the Puritans in England. Even the Author- 
ized Version had a hard struggle to supersede it. 


109 


THE BIBLE 





The Geneva Bible was the first to use italics to 
indicate supplied words, that is, words that are not 
found in the original, but which are supplied to give 
the sense intended. It was also the first whole Bible 
to have the chapters divided into verses. 


Another meritorious feature of the Geneva Bible 
was that it omitted the Apocrypha, which was made a 
part of the Septuagint in the fourth century through 
Catholic influences. 


TEE BISHOPS t BiB isp, 


AFTER the Geneva Bible was in use for some time 

the Bishop’s Bible was brought out by license of 
Queen Elizabeth, so that England could have a distinc- 
tive National Bible. Eight bishops, with a number of 
deans and professors, completed this work, which was 
brought out in beautiful folio edition in 1568 and 1572. 
Its cost was too high for the common people and it 
was not satisfactory to scholars so had but little 
influence. 


ROMAN CATHOLIC BIBLE 
M EANWHILE Roman Catholics, themselves, saw 
tl 


1e necessity of an English translation with ex- 
planatory notes, as the reading of the Bible, itself, - 
without notes, was driving men to Protestantism. The 
Bible in England had outgrown Romish antagonism 
to the extent that it was making fearful inroads on 
the superstition of ages of Popish errors. Romanists 
were alarmed and determined to explain the meaning 
of the different texts of Scripture in harmony with 
their Catholic traditional errors; hence the Catholic 
refugees at Rheims translated the New Testament 
from the Vulgate, which they published in 1582. The 
Old Testament was completed and published at, Douay, 
in 1609, thus giving the world a complete Catholic 


110 


THE BIBLE 





‘FIRS 
Ons 


called G 


CHAP, t. 


Thecreauon of Hgauenand Earth, ¢ of che 
light, 6 ofthe firmament, 9 ot the earth fe. 
parated fromthe waters, 42 and nade frust- 
lull, 14 ofthe Sunne, Moone, and Starres, 
:0 of hfyandfowle, 24 of beafts and cat. 
tell, 86 Of Manin the Image of God. 39 Ab 
fo the appomiment of food. 





"Pht: 1.6 race § He rhedeqanng 
wad 6.y Xz OD ceeateh the 
ae ay Deauen, and (He 
haben g ty ‘ @ we f gee And the 
re 7 out > and 
C = t bord, and barke- 


a A A ES TT ST 
a 


the face of the Deepe : and the tg 
of God mooucd Dpon ee face of the 


watcrs. 
"Coe 3 And Sod Lud,” Let ehjere de tight: 
t+ — Janbeeretbashght. 
4 AndGodlar che tight, that «was 
1 Mabe bn good: and Gob adsd ‘the baht from 
I erte 0 ¢ barkeneffe. 
ighedin| "5 End God called the haht, Day, 
dotwfe, (AND the Barariciie cauled Sight: ' and 
incl “od lene curring and te momma were the 
eo ad hy [AUR DAP. 
mowyee! € And Godtnd “Feet theredea 
Fea ag | Grameen the nude of the tnaters: 
36 | anid tet wt Dude the waters from He 


$ Mt. tons 

ved 11-15- TOACETB. 

tHe Ee |e inn God made tie firmanint; 
and Danhed rhe waters , whch vere DI 
ver the fremanint, from the yharers, 


Iherh were abone che Hemaniemt: and a 
wasts. 


FIRST PAGE 


EN 


OF TEXT OF 


OKE 


O 
Sane S. 


ESIS. 





$ And Gobcalicd the Armament, | terse ts 
Beauen : and the cucmung and thc mo2- 
ning Were che (econd Bay. 

9 CAndGopla, Let the waters | P4117 
pnbder she heaucn be ed togerber| ets, 
onto one place, andies the Dyp land ap- 
peare: and was fo. 

10 Anb God called the opie Land, 

Garth , and rhe garherg togester of 
the waters cailed hee, Meas: and God 
(ath that « was good. 

it And Godlard, Let the Sarchdung 
footh 'grafle, the herbe peel {Heb seede 
and fruit cree, pecan alter INS | red 
mnbe, whofe feed is in a [etfe, bpon the 
earth: andi aslo. 

iz Aud the earch brought foorth 
grate, and herbe peeloing feed after his 


: mthe Grmament of che heaucn, pales? 


ent be fos Ugdts in Hel mse. 
heanen, to gue ight 


eqreatee ught ' to rule tHe Day, ANB) 
pe ctiee ugh to rule che might: heinade i pei 
she farres allo. 

17 And God fet them in the Fired: 


ment of the heaucnt, co gue bate ypon 
en nd to rule oucr the day 889 °8e.38 Bs 
> ed be 


THE ORIGINAL 


KING JAMES VERSION 


Ca Rey 


THE BIBLE 





Bible, known today as the Douay Bible, and Rheimish 
New Testament, with copious dogmatic notes, author- 
ized by the Catholic church as the only Bible for its 
people. 

THE KING JAMES VERSION 

EXT in order, we have the King James, or author- 

. ized version, so-called because the translation was 
authorized by that ruler. Fifty-four men of learning 
were selected from both High Churchmen and Puri- 
tans, as well as from among unconnected scholars. 
The King also sought the aid of others of the best 
scholars in England to assist in the work, which was 
finished 1611 A.D., and is very true to the original 
text. 

These scholars had the Hebrew, Greek and Latin 
before them, as well as a number of very ancient 
manuscripts to refer to. In this Bible the marginal 
references were inserted in a greatly enlarged form, 
and although these references cannot always be relied 
upon, as directing the student in topical study, they 
are quite useful in very many cases and very helpful 
where a Hebrew or Greek word which is somewhat 
ambiguous or having more than one meaning in the 
original, is given a second and sometimes a better » 
rendering. On the whole, it was a wonderful work, 
and as literature alone, stands preeminently above 
every other translation, not excepting the Revised or 
other later versions. The Revised Version was given 
to the world in 1881, but has not yet and perhaps 
never will take the place of the King James Version 
which is altogether the most trustworthy and reliable. 


LATEST VERSIONS 


HE Revised Version, started in 1870 and finished 
in 1881, and the American Revised edition, com- 
pleted in 1885, were made simply to bring the Bible 


112 


THE BIBLE 





APOLLO 
The Sun God of 


Constantine and the 
Romans. This Em- 
peror, who some refer 
(OisdS ie ae eC hiistiany: 
was pagan at heart 
and a vile murderer. 
Some think kindly of 
him because of his 
Sunday Law, which 
commanded “rest on 
the venerable day of 
the sun.” 

His best act was the 
ordering of 50 copies 
of the Bible to be 
made; but his char- 
acter was anything but 
Christian. 








k { A COIN OF CONSTANTINE 
On one side is shown the head of Constantine with abbreviated 
inscription “Imperator Constantinus Pius Felix Augustus.” On 
the reverse side is shown a standing figure of Apollo the sun 
god of Constantine with rays from the head, holding a globe 
in the left hand, pointing to the meridian with the right, with 
us inscription: “Soii Invicto Comiti’—The sun, my invincible 
ally. 
The original coin isinot much larger than our nick ro i 
Photographed from the original by BH. Meee aes 


113 


THE BIBLE 





more in harmony with modern verbiage. Some of 
the old English words altered their meaning since the 
King James Version was issued, while others had be- 
come obsolete, but aside from this, no change was 
made worthy of notice. Yet it is far from being 
as trustworthy as the King James Version and can 
never take its place. This is the opinion of our best 
scholars. 


The Revised Versions, both the 1881 edition and the 
American Revised Bible, while they show consider- 
able scholarship, will never replace, and should never 
replace the Authorized Version, commonly known 
as the King James. The reasons for this need not to 
be enlarged upon, because by universal consent of the 
people the Revised Versions are gradually but surely 
losing favor and the Authorized Version is more than 
holding its own. The reason for this is that the Re- 
vised Version was translated almost entirely from the 
so-called two oldest manuscripts, the Codex Vaticanus 
and the Codex Sinaiticus. As before remarked, un- 
der that particular head, these two manuscripts were 
no doubt written by order of Constantine the Great 
for the churches at Constantinople. The work was 
committed to Eusebius, who was a puppet of Con- 
stantine and a confirmed hypocrite, caring only for 
the favor of the Emperor in that age of the most 
corrupt state of the Roman church. 


The Revised Version contains almost thirty-six 
thousand word or textual differences, and while they 
do not materially change the sense, yet some times 
they shock our sensibility as to why these changes 
were made. 


Philip Mauro comments on this as follows: 


“As we have already stated, a superstitious deference 
was paid to the Sinai and Vatican MSS. because of their 
(supposed) greater antiquity, the assumption being that 


114 


/ 


THE BIBLE 





the older the MS. the more likely is it to be correct. 
But that assumption is wholly unwarrantable. In the 
concrete case before us, we have, in support of the Text 
of the A. V., the concurrent testimony of many manu- 
sctipts, from many different parts of the world; and 
though these were copies of older copies no longer in 
existence, yet, upon the soundest principles of the law of 
evidence, their concurrent testimony serves to establish 
conclusively the various disputed passages, where the two 
ancient Codices present variances. * * * * 


“Bearing in mind that, as Dr. Kenyon of the British 
Museum says, ‘the manuscripts of the New Testament 
are counted by hundreds and even thousands,’ it is a cause 
for astonishment that credence should have been given 
in any instance to the Vatican or Sinai MSS. (or both 
together in cases where they agree) against the agreeing 
testimony of the multitude of opposing witnesses. But 
such was the rule consistently followed in compiling the 
Text for the R. V. Canon Cook in his book on the 
‘Revised Version of the First Three Gospels,’ says: 


‘By far the greatest number of innovations, in- 
cluding those which give the severest shocks to our 
minds, are adopted on the testimony of two manu- 
scripts, or even of one manuscript, against the 
distinct testimony of all other manuscripts, uncial 
and cursive. The Vatican Codex, sometimes alone, 
but generally in accord with the Sinaitic, is respon- 
sible for nine-tenths of the most striking innova- 
tions in the R. V.’ 


“We have deemed it worth while to examine with some 
care the principle whereby modern editors of the Greek 
Text of the New Testament profess to have been guided, 
and this for the reasons, first, that the question here dis- 
cussed, and the facts whereby it must be determined, lie 
beyond the reach of most of those for whose benefit we 
are writing; and second, that if we are right in our view 
that the principle we are discussing is utterly unsound, 
is contrary to the rules of evidence, and is certain to lead 
astray those who submit to its guidance, we have taken 
the foundation completely from under the Revised Version, 
of 1881 and of every other Version that rests upon the 
same corrupt Greek Text, or one constructed upon the 
same principles.”—Which Version? Pages 61, 66, 67. 


115 


s1squveIys AQ po UTR LAdSId DIGAWIVI V 


Q 
4 
ee 
“4 
ea 
ca 
ae 
sa 





EEE 


THE BIBLE 





There are at present many translations of the 
New Testament into our present idiomatic English, 
some of which are paraphrases, but most of them are 
not. However, they are the work of men who, al- 
though honest enough in their intent and purpose, are 
nevertheless biased on different points of doctrine; 
and while they may be useful to the student in giving 
a clearer conception of the meanings of some obsolete 
words and a better understanding of some of the orig- 
inal Greek words, yet none of these is recommended 
to take the place of the King James or Authorized 
Bible. If judiciously handled and carefully compared 
with the original, they may serve to give the result 
of the most recent lexical research. The utmost care 
is necessary, and it should always be remembered, as 
before stated, that they are the works of single in- 
dividuals and in some cases not so true to the original 
as the Authorized Version. 


Besides the foregoing, there are several literal, 
word for word, (interlinear) renderings of both the 
Old and New Testaments, as well as a number of 
more recent translations which are of great value for 
comparison. 


Among the best and most up-to-date translations 
in English for the Bible student who cannot read the 
Hebrew or Greek, is Leeser’s Jewish Bible, a trans- 
lation of the Old Testament, by Isaac Leeser, a pro- 
found Hebrew scholar and critic. This translation 
was given to the world in 1853. Another, is the “The 
Holy Scriptures,” translated by a number of Hebrew 
scholars, and published by the Jewish Publication So- 
ciety in 1916. We class them among the most re- 
liable, but great care must be taken not to follow them 
when the belief in the Messiah is at stake. 


Let it be remembered, however, that one and all 


117 


THE BIBLE 





are alike in thought and purpose. No changes what- 
ever, worthy of serious moment, appear from the or- 
iginal text. 

The Authorized or King James Bible as it is some- 
times called is the one that stands ahead of all the 
other English Bibles and should be used in the family 
and pulpit while the scholar may derive much profit 
by using the late versions and the Hebrew and Greek 
text for critical study. 


Thus the Bible is with us today, firmly fixed and 
established as the everlasting hills. It has come to 
us through persecution, blood and moral darkness, 
and is saying majestically, as it goes forth to all 
nations, tongues and people— 

“Let there be light.” 

“It is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.” 

Having thus fully established the authenticity of 
the Bible, and having firmly set the stakes of its his- 
toricity, from the time it was written to our present 
versions, showing the utter foolishness of doubting its 
genuineness, we next proceed to establish its claim 
upon us and the manner of its inspiration. 


GOD'S SEANDARDIOMETHIGS 


“The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried 
in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.”—Psalm 12:6. 


‘THE Bible is the word of God and it is so pure 

that it has stood the test of ages, of all kinds of 
criticism, and comes to us cleaner and more free from 
imperfections than any silver ever taken from the 
smelter’s furnace. 

Besides its freedom from the taint of man, it con- 
tains the only perfect system of moral philosophy and 
ethics. It was written in times when no human writ- 
ings could possibly escape the corrupting influences of 


118 


THE BIBLE 





paganism in its most superstitious form. It was pre- 
served in times when men were degraded by the most 
beastly and debasing practices. Paul, speaking of 
those heathen days, said: 
“Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 
“And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into 


an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and 
four-footed beasts, and creeping things. 


“Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, 
through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their 
own bodies between themselves. 


“And even as they did not like to retain God in their 
knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to 
do those things which are convenient: 


“Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, 
wicknedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, 
murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whispers, 


“Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, 
inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents. 


“Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without 
natural affection, implacable, unmerciful.”—Romans 1 :22- 
24 and 28-31. 

In the hey-day of Greek and Roman learning, cer- 
tain philosophers, seeking to turn the tide of wicked- 
ness and debauchery, brought out systems of moral 
philosophy; but these were nearly all identified with 
customs of certain communities, and the court’s de- 
cisions, in some cases, became standards of morality 
and ethics. This was merely a legal morality and 
depended on the caprice of the judges. 


They also had certain maxims, such as “Know 
thyself,” “Do nothing in excess,” and many others. 

Protagoras, the sophist, about B. C. 410, taught 
morality and ethical culture, but was banished for his 
frivolity and for denying the existence of the gods. 
Socrates, in his moral teaching, urged “the spirit of 
the community,” and that could not have been worse. 
In one instance, at least, he moralized on the way 


e 


119 


THE BIBLE 





women of the street should conduct their business. 
He had no real insight into true morality, and al- 
though he is supposed to have been advanced beyond 
the age in which he lived, yet in this age he would 
be regarded as not only a dangerous man, but perhaps 
even as a degenerate or an insane man. He did not 
claim to know the supreme controlling good. 

Plato, who followed Socrates, and tells us all we 
know about the latter, (for Socrates never left us a 
written line), admitted that his teachings were mere 
outlines. 

Aristotle, the instructor of Alexander the Great, 
contended that ethics must relate to good as realized 
by man; so that custom made right, and that happiness 
was the chief or highest good. 

Standing out prominently among the modern phil- 
osophers are such men as Kant, Spinoza and Spencer, 
whose complicated systems of ethics lead nowhere and 
only serve to confuse the mind. 


The English infidel writer, G. W. Foote, in a little 
brochure, speaks of Spinoza and other ethical philoso- 
phers so often quoted by infidels, as probably insane 
or affected with neurosis. One has only to read the 
philosophical twistings and turnings of these so-called 
great moralists and his mind will turn at once to the 
words of Dryden who said: 


“Great wits to madness sure are near allied, 
And thin partitions do their bounds divide.” 


O, how different when we take up the Bible, the 
Word of our God! Beginning with the moral law, 
(Ten Commandments) covering every known and un- 
known defect in man’s fallen nature, and in his re- 
lation to God and to his fellow creature, it is as fit 
for this age as when it first came from the hands of 
God amid the thunders of Sinai. 


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THE BIBLE 


The whole Bible is a book of ethics; and all is 
developed in the life of Jesus the Christ. The Sermon 
on the Mount is the supreme ethical standard for hu- 
manity, and although hundreds of books have been 
written on moral philosophy by men who could never 
attain to what their own minds taught was right and 
good, the simple words of the Sermon on the Mount 
are of such transcendental sublimity that they drive 
into utter oblivion every so-called ethical system. 


The reason is plain. It is because Christ’s teaching 
represents a hfe, the life of God in Christ, and that 
glorious and spotless life is plowed as a deep furrow 
through every line of Holy Writ; and best of all it 
promises and gives us the power of that endless life, 
to carry out these principles in our lives— 


“Christ in you the hope of glory.” 


“T am the light of the world,” said Christ, and the 
life that He lived among men has given us more than 
a mere standard of ethics. It has been implanted in 
the heart of every real Christian; the power of an 
endless life, and all that goes with it. 


Men have taught ethics and morality. Christ Jesus 
LIVED them. His life is a divine x-ray, penetrating 
the heart of man, revealing every imperfection, pene- 
trating even to the dark and hidden corners of the soul, 
making manifest the slightest wounds caused by sin. 
It is the soothing ultra-violet ray of health and happi- 
ness to the penitent, filling him with peace and joy 
and with the knowledge of complete regeneration. It 
is the divine radium of life, radiating even to the ullti- 
mate atom of sin, dissipating and shattering it into 
countless electrons, leaving only righteousness and 
power in its stead. 


The Sermon on the Mount is the radiation of the 
life of the eternal righteousness of the Son of God, 


121 


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Wluminating and clarifying the principles of the char- 
acter of the Most High God as revealed in the -first 
Sermon on the Mount (Sinai), when amid clouds and 
darkness and the voice of words, the principles of the’ 
supreme or chief good (God) were first made known 
to man. We may call this ethics, call it what we 
will, but when we know Christ, whom to know aright 
is life eternal; when we know the power of His say- 
ing grace; the wisdom of men will be foolishness to 
us and with open face we will behold the glory of 
God and be changed into His own image, from glory 
to glory even by the Spirit of God. 


Men teach ethics, and practice they know not 
what. Christ lived the righteousness of God and 
taught the ethics of His life. O, how great the differ- 
ence—‘Christ the way, the truth and the life, the all 
and in all.” 


INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE 

Berio the prophecy came not in old time by the will 

of man, but Holy men of God spake as they were 

moved by the Holy Ghost.”—2-Peter 1:21. 

: es Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” —2-Tim. 
To inspire is to breathe in. Spiration, is breath. 
“Inspiration of God,” 1s God-breathed; hence, we 

might honestly paraphrase the last text quoted thus, 

“All Scripture is (God-breathed) given by inspiration 
of God.” 

Jesus, when he sent forth his disciples, said— 

“As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you and 
when he had said this he breathed on them and saith unto 
them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” —John 20:21-22. 

The Holy Ghost was given to them by Christ 
breathing on them, or by the breath of God; hence 
the conclusion, from the two texts quoted before—All 
Scripture is God breathed; and Holy men of God 
spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 


. 122 





THE BIBLE 





I quote again, 

“By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made: 
and all the hosts of them by the BREATH of his mouth.” 
—Psalms 33:6. 


“By His SPIRIT he hath garnished the heavens.” 
—Job 26:13. 

In these texts the words—“WORD”, “BREATH”, 
and “SPIRIT” are used interchangeably; hence the 
language of Jesus— 


“The words I speak unto you they are spirit and they 
are life.’”—John 6:63. 


Not only is the Word of God filled with the in- 
breathed Spirit of God, but Christ says, “it is life,” 
and Peter adds this testimony: 

“Being born again not of corruptible seed but of in- 


corruptible, by the Word of God which LIVETH and 
abideth forever.” —1-Peter 1:23. 


LIFE AND.-POWER Of sTHE WORD 


[tT is also a word of power (creative power). 
“Upholding all things by the word of His power.”’— 
Hebrews 1:3. 


“Through faith we understand that the worlds were 
framed by the WORD OF GOD.”—Hebrews 11:3. 

Everything connected with God, is filled with life 
and power. God is life. The Psalmist says: 

“With thee is the fountain of life.”—Psalms 36:9. 

Christ says, 

“For as the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He 
given to the Son to have life in Himself.”—John 5:26. 

Ezekiel, in a vision of the Lord, describes the 
throne of God as a living throne, and John speaks of 
the river of life and the tree of life in the paradise of 
God. We delve into nature and there find life and 
power from God everywhere. Men speak of elec- 
tricity, of gravitation, of force; but oh, how frail their 
conception of things as viewed in the light of God’s 


123 


THE BIBLE 


Word: that word which is called the “word of life,” 
(Philippians 2:16), “the word of His power.”—Heb- 
rews 1:3. 

What holds the worlds in space? The scientists 
answer, “gravitation.” The Bible says: “Upholding 
all things by the word of His power.” All power and 
life is from God.* All things opposed to God are 
powerless, while He is powerful. The Bible is the 
“Word of His power” and “There is no power but of 
God.”—Romans 13:1. 


CHRIST THE LIVING, INCARNATE WORD 
( HRIST JESUS is the living word— 


‘In the beginning was the word and the word was with 
God and the word was God.”—John 1:1. 


He is the way, the truth and the life. We partake 
of Him through His word and in His word. When 
Jesus said— 


“Except ye eat the flesh of the son of man, and drink 
his blood ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth of my flesh 
and drinketh my blood hath eternal life.” ~John 6:53-54. 


Even his disciples were astonished, and said— 

“This is a hard saying; who can hear it?” 

Jesus enlightens them on this point, in the 63rd 
verse, thus: a 

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh verily profit- 


eth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are 
spirit and they are life.” 


Some of the disciples left him, because of these 
sayings, and addressing the twelve, Jesus said unto 
them— | 

“Will ye also go away?’—Verse 66-7. 

“Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we 
go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.”—Verse 68. 


THEREFORE 
“He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not 
the Son hath not life.”1-John 5:12. 


124 


THE BIBLE 


Speaking to unbelievers, Christ said: 

“Ye have not His word abiding in you.”—John 5:38. 

Hence the conclusion: When we have the word 
of God abiding in us, we have the Son of God, and 
when we have the Son of God, we have eternal life in 
Him; and as all the power of the Godhead bodily 
dwells in Christ— a 

“His divine power hath given unto us all things that 
pertain unto life and Godliness.”—2-Peier 1:3. 

AND 
“Ye are complete in Him.”’—Colossians 2:10. 


PREACH THE WORD 


HE Apostle Paul preached the Word of God, in its 

completeness and fullness, and he was able truth- 
fully to say: 

“My speech and my preaching was not with enticing 
words of man’s wisdom but in demonstration of the spirit 
and power. That your faith should not stand in the 
wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” —1-Corinthians 
2:4-5. 

Paul says of the Gospel: 


“It is the power of God unto salvation to every one 
that believeth.”—Romans 1:16. 


The only way we can truly preach the Gospel, is 
to preach the Word of God, for Peter tells us that— 

“The word of the Lord endureth forever and this is - 
the word by which the Gospel is preached unto you.”— 
1-Peter 1:25. 

How sad, the thought that men disregard this 
wonderful Word of God. Many ministers use it only 
as the convenient starting point for a sensational ser- 
mon, or the basis of a brilliant essay. Very many 
of them have their firstly, secondly and_ thirdly. 
Firstly, they take a text. Secondly, they leave it. 
Thirdly, they never get back to it. 


That kind of preaching is misusing the Scriptures 
and dishonoring to God. With a well of eternal life 


125 


THE BIBLE 


nme 


before us, shall we go to the broken cistern that can 
hold no water? “Preach the word,” says Paul—“It 
shall not return unto me void,” saith the Lord. Let 
the Lord speak for Himself, by his word: su 

“The vision is yet for an appointed time but at the 
end it shall speak.”—Habakkuk 2:3 

No word of man can possibly take the place of 
the living, active, speaking Word of God. It pene- 
trates where the word of man can only fail: 

“For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharp- 
er than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the divid- 
ing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and mar- 


row, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the 
heart.”—Hebrews 4:12. 


CREATIVE POWER IN CONVERSION 


GAIN I say, that the power of the Word of God 

is creative power, for: 

“He spake and it was—He commanded and it stood 
fast.”—Psalm 33:9. 

In the beginning, before the sun was made to rule 
the day and the moon to rule the night, God said, 
“Light,” and light was, and again, 

“God commanded the light to shine out of darkness.” 
—2-Corinthians 4:6. 

God spoke, and creative power was in his word: 

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were 
framed by the word of God, so that things which are 
seen were not made of things which do appear.”—Heb- 
rew 11:3. 

Jesus said, “Ye must be born again.” Conversion, 
or the new birth, is creation over again. Creation _ 
and redemption are infinite acts, accomplished by the 
same word of God. 


God finds man fallen, debased, with nothing good 
in him; and by His word He creates something out of 
this nothing. He causes righteousness to spring forth; 


126 


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He imputes righteousness and we are changed; hence 
conversion is called a new creation: 

“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any- 
thing nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.”—Gal. 6:15. 

More literally, the foregoing might be rendered, 
“a new creation.” Touching the same thought, we 
read: 

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus 
unto good works, which God hath before ordained that 
we should walk in them.”—Ephesians 2:10. 

The Psalmist says: 


“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right 
spirit within me.”—Psalims 51:10. 


THE WORD OF GOD IS HIS MESSENGER 


N this new creation, or new birth, God sends His 

Word to do the work, as a master would send his 
servant on an errand. The Psalmist says: “He sent 
His word and healed them.” Psalm 107:20; and Paul, 
addressing the Jews, says: - 

“Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham 
and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the 
word of this salvation sent.” —Acts 13:26. 

What a wonderful faith in this power of the Word 
we have in the case of the Centurian, who besought 
the help of Jesus for his servant, who was sick with 
palsy and grievously tormented: 

“Jesus said unto him, I will come and heal him. The 
Centurian answered and said Lord I am not worthy that 
Thou shouldest come under my roof: But speak the word 
only and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man 
under authority, having soldiers under me; and I say to 
this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he 
cometh, and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.” 
—Matthew 8:7-9. 

This Centurian understood more fully the power 
of Christ’s word, than many of His disciples. He 
understood that Christ had but to will it, and send 


127 


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His word to do it, as the Centurian would send a 
servant to do his will. Christ commended his faith, 
saying: | 

“Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, 
no not in Israel.”—Verse 10. 

To still further sustain this position, I will quote 
from the Old Testament: 

“For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from 
heaven, and returneth not thither but watereth the earth 
and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed 
to the sower and bread to the eater—So shall my word 
be that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return 
unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, 
and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I SENT IT.” 
—Isaiah 55:11-12. 

Another passing thought regarding the Word of 
God in the new birth; Peter said: 

“Being born again not of corruptible seed but of in- 


corruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth 
forever.”—1-Peter 1:23. 


“Is not my word like as fire? Saith the Lord; and 
eee hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces.” —Jer. 
How beautiful, this illustration, given in the Old 
Testament. Like the fire, the Word of God has a 
melting, refining influence, and like the hammer that 
breaks the rock, it changes the stony heart of man. 


THE MIND OF CHRIST 


HE Bible is the Word of God—His words to us. 

Words are the expression of thoughts’; hence in 
the Word of God, we have the expression of His 
thoughts, and we can no more fully understand His 
word in our unregenerate state, than we can read His 
thoughts. 

God says: 


“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous 
man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord and 


128 





THE BIBLE 


He will have mercy upon him; and to our God and he 
will abundantly pardon. 


“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are 
your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are 
my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than 
your thoughts.”—Isaiah 55:7-9. 


Let us then drink in the Word of God by faith; 
accept His precious promises, forsake our own ways, 
believe every word of God, and He will receive and 
change us, and bring our minds into subjection to 
His blessed will. We will have His thoughts, His 
mind; as Paul so beautifully said in addressing the 

church at Corinth: 


“Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but 
the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things 
that are freely given to us of God. 


“Which things also we speak, not in the words which 
man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teach- 
eth: comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the 
Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him, neither 
can he know them for they are spiritually discerned. 


“But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he, 
himself is judged of no man. 


“For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he 
may instruct Him? BUT WE HAVE THE MIND OF 
CHRIST.”—1-Cor. 2:12-16. 


Shall we not, then, gladly accept the precious 
Word of God, which is “able to make us wise unto 
salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus”? 
And, when amid the darkness and strife of earth, all 
else shall fail, we shall be found standing on the 
Word of God, which can neither be moved nor shaken, 
but shall endure unto everlasting life: 

“Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in wis- 
dom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms 


and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your 
hearts to the Lord.’—Col. 3:16. 


129 


THE BIBLE 





INTERPRETATION 


‘CL7NOWING THIS FIRST, THAT NO PRO- 
PHECY OF SCRIPTURE IS OF ANY 
PRIVATE INTERPRETATION.”—2-Peter 1:20. 


If we would know the Bible, we must first be- 
come acquainted with God, its Author. No manner 
of human thought or reason can enlighten us on these 
things. We may study all the books that were ever 
written by the greatest men of earth; we may delve 
into science, philosophy and logic, and may know all 
the wisdom there is to know; but still the treasures of 
the knowledge of God, in His word, remain sealed; 
His vault of wisdom unopened. 

Go to Athens and Rome, the seats of ancient learn- 
ing. See their gods of wood and stone, their altars 
and their priests; and answer the question: Did these 
scholars and philosophers give to the world any rev- 
elation beneficial to the human race? Did they give 
the world a moral uplift? 

Their hearts and minds were darkened; and Paul 
the Apostle, beholding their blind reverence for blocks 
of wood and stone, said; 


“I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.” 
—Acts 17:22. 


It is indeed true, that—‘‘the world by wisdom 
knew not God.” Paul, in his epistle to the Corinthi- 
ans, written about five years after his return from 
Athens, where he saw the cruel mockery. of the 
wordly-wise, said— 

“Where are the wise? Where is the Scribe? Where 


is the dispyter of this world? Hath not God made foolish 
the wisdom of this world. 


“For after that in the wisdom of God, the world by 
wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness 
of preaching, to save them that believe.”—1-Cor. 1 :20-21. 


Hence, if you would know God and His Word, 
you must come to Him in simple, childlike faith: 


130 


THE BIBLE 





“For he that cometh to God must believe that He is 
and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek 
Him.” —Hebrews 11:6. 


“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the 
spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither 
can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.” 
—1-Cor. 2:14. 


“The things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of 
God.”—1-Cor, 2:11. 


THE eHOLY, SPIRIT PROMISED 


Y accepting God’s Word as it is indeed, with 

true repentance, the Spirit is ours for the asking: 

“If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, 
will he give him a stone? If he ask a fish will he give him 
a serpent? Or if he ask an egg will he give him a scor- 
plan? 

“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to 
to your children, how much more shall your heavenly 
Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?’— 
Luke 11 :11-13. 

What would you do, dear reader, if your son, your 
own flesh and blood were hungry and should ask you 
for bread ? Would you refuse? O,no. Christ, Him- 
self, shows what you would do in the parable of the 
prodigal son. Viewing this proposition from my weak 
human standpoint as a father who has raised children, 
I can only say that, if my son should go off and be- 
come the worst of sons, a disgrace to himself and me; 
if he should bring distress and sorrow upon my soul, 
if he should go so far as to almost break my heart 
with sadness: if after he had almost driven me to the 
grave; 1f when my body was racked with pain causer1 
by distress of mind and heart in consequence of his 
shame, if then, he should approach me and say— 
“Father, I know I have done wrong, I know I have 
disgraced you, but I’m hungry,”’—would I cast him 
off? O, no. Cast off my son?’ Never! But with 


131 


THE BIBLE 


gladness of heart at his return, I would say “My son, 
my son, take what I have and eat, eat and be satis- 


fied.” 


My trembling hand would bring him the best I had, 
and even though my poverty made the provisions 
scarce, rather than see him, my son, suffer, I would 
give him all, and cover him with a father’s love. You 
would do the same, and yet think, think dear reader 
—your Father is more willing to give the Holy Spirit 
to you, than you are to feed your own flesh and blood. 
Greater love hath no man than this. Bless His Holy 
Name! 

There may be stony-hearted fathers and mothers 
in the world, who might cast off their own children. 
God recognizing this fact, said— 

“Can a woman forget her’ sucking child, that she 


should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, 
she may forget, yet will I not forget thee. 


“Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my 
panes thy walls are continually before me.”—/saiah 49:15, 

Those hands that were pierced for you, are a con- 
tinual reminder that you are still His son—‘‘Yet will 
I not forget thee.” No, God never forgets. His word 
is sure, and those nail-prints will not be removed 
while there is a son or daughter of Adam that needs 
salvation; and when at last the opening heavens pre- 
sent the Son of God, coming to save His own, the first 
glimpse of His glory will reveal the prints of the nails 
in His hands. Says the prophet Habakkuk— 

“And His brightness was as the light. He had rays 
oie forth from His hands.”—Habakkuk 3:4. Revised 
“CY SION, 

The marginal reading in the King James Version, 
Says—‘“‘bright beams.” 

In the blazing glory of the Son of God, the first 
tokens of His saving grace, will be seen in the “rays” 


132 


THE BIBGE 


or “bright bedms” coming from those hands that were 
pierced for us. 
Come, boldly, then, to the throne of grace: 
“Ask and ye shall receive,” is the promise of Christ 
“If any man lack wisdom let him ask of God who 
giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not.” 
- God, who by His Spirit wrote the Word, will by 
the same Spirit make it known, for it is true indeed— 


“God is His own interpreter and He will make it 
plain.” 


a) Fel Con Pat gs ACH 


O better method of understanding the Bible can be 

suggested, than that embodied in the famous pro- 

test of the princes of the Reformation—“‘that each 

text of Holy Scripture ought to be explained by other 

and clearer texts,” or, as Paul said, “comparing spirit- 
ual things with spiritual things.” 

Daniel, the prophet, took this method, and wherein 

he failed to understand his own vision, he sought for 

light by studying the writings of Jeremiah—see Dan. 


“For precept must be upon precept, precept upon pre- 
cept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little and there 
a little.’—IJsatah 28:10. 

It is a good thing to begin with Genesis and care- 
fully read every word of the Bible to the end of Rev- 
elation, to get it fixed in our minds: its narrative, 
its history, its poetry and prophecy. 

This should be done, not carelessly or indifferently 
as we read a novel or a newspaper, but studying every 
passage and incident as we read. Then, knowing that 
all Bible writers deal with one great and all-absorbing 
subject, man’s salvation; and that all were inspired 
by tne one Spirit, by God Himself, we can safely com- 
pare Scripture with Scripture. 


133 


Eerie, vB a ee 





With a concordance in one hand and the Bible in 
the other, we shall soon come to know its teachings. 

After a thorough reading of the whole Bible, we 
should take it up topically, getting all the light we can 
from each and every writer, on every question intro- 
duced, remembering always that God does not explain 
all the whys and wherefores of His infinite acts, but 
that— 


“The secret things belong unto the Lord our God but 
those things which are revealed, belong unto us and to 
our children forever.” —Deut. 29:29. 


“Whoso readeth, let him understand.” 


GIVE ME THE BIBLE 


Give me the Bible, star of gladness gleaming, . 
To cheer the wand’rer lone and tempest tossed; 
No storm can hide that peaceful radiance beaming, 
Since Jesus came to seek and save the lost. 


Give me the Bible when my heart is broken, 
When sin and grief have filled my soul with fear; 
Give me the precious words by Jesus spoken, 
Hold up faith’s lamp to show my Saviour near. 


Give me the Bible, all my steps enlighten, 

Teach me the danger of these realms below; 

That lamp of safety, o’er the gloom shall brighten, 
That light alone the path of peace can show. 


Give me the Bible, lamp of life immortal, 

Hold up that splendor by the open grave; 

Show me the light from heaven’s shining portal, 
Show me the glory gilding Jordan’s wave. 


Give me the Bible; Holy message shining, 

Thy light shall guide me in the narrow way. 
Precept and promise, law and love combining, 
Till night shall vanish in eternal day. 


134 


Do Pye SLB sik 





GOD’S BOOK - . 


~The Holy Bible ~ 


ce 


| THE OLB TESTAMENT, 


Y sh a : teat us 
THE NEW: 
itakd ed x 


HE ORIGINAL TON MITES 





United States Supreme Court Bible (Oxford Revision) 
on which Presidents have been sworn in since 1801. 


. 135 





INDEX 


Page 
SOR RUNMUIE LN bivehn ee grat 2 ter cs I Tk 28 ee Ge ae Pood «8, 
MiASSIRICATIONISOF. (SECTS >. as a Dees MIL fleet Sh NS 10 
PecrestTANTISM “(Cl he Bible (only) eee oe 2 11 
CATHOLIC View (Bibles AND) TradttiOn,)  cccnn dob cate eneetiees 13 
Psrupo ProtestaNTIsM (Bible anp Something else) uu 13 
PAT eR ROTESTA NTIS M tet em Or Ae eo eb eT ie el gee 15 
INFIDELITY (Bible has outlived its enemies) eccmmeecnnn SMI 
UVa EIST: DIDGNGTO WRITES a See oe eae 18 
WITNESSING TO CHRIST’S WORK. TRUSTWORTHY 
EE Sel NEG Vip ete oct ye ae aaah oe glen ne 20 
PaRtSthCAME IN AN PAGE OF CEARNING otc. eee 22 
LISGIPLES ACCOM MISSIONED <TO \ WRITE \ciicpimcoobesetiensecginenettteense emotes 24 
QUALIFICATIONS OF GOSPEL WRITERS  crecsssssscssetsesaesictanesseessinumansst 24 
AN ZINFIDEL “ARGUMENT ANSWERED (2202. ak ee 27 
PAD AND HIS PPISTLES: 20... <a8 cue te nq tak ania, Oe ee a wee 29 
Perera MES CAN DAN UDE: cos Sgt aie Me Nec fie soliochpansnceeeta Jt 
MARY NOT “ALWAYS A VIRGIN™ cocccccssssscsscne ea AS Gie aes Ges oa 
PeEeRIS THER gsbDIRSTBORN (Lok eit chy wh oe aad 32 


BEOMISE CORMTHE. /FIOLY 1 SPIRIT bee ae a i B52 
AN INFIDEL MISFIT. FABLE ABOUT COUNCIL oF NICE 


(A.D. 325) FORMING THE CANON OF SCRIPTURE ....w.. 33 
JOHN PAPPUS, ORIGINATOR OF INFIDEL FALSEHOOD cemnsnanue 34 
BMOTRATRE PulTA TINE? ANI GrIBPON sit toe coc terse be eens 34 
“EVIDENCE OF TIME AND ETERNAL FITNESS” eessssssssssonee ene 35 
Two SKEPTICS START OUT TO WRITE AGAINST CHRIS- 

TIANITY AND END BY ACCEPTING AND DEFENDING [Tesco 38 
Mee DESEAMENT JEVIDENCK (ia aren eet 39 


HISTORICAL EVIDENCE—-CLEMENT OF RomE; BotH OLD 
AND NEW TESTAMENTS (complete) NO DOUBT IN 


CPM BE TORE MA. tL) wiLOU? eet cere nS See ae ete . 41-2 
Potycarp AND Papias (Immovable evidence) 43-4 
COMI YBEPMARGY GWEITERG. fee eee ee dec od a See een 45 
New TESTAMENT COMPLETE (except 11 verses) IN WORKS 

OF EARLY WRITERS BEFORE CounNcit OF NICE. .ecssssssseeoe 46 
OD Se DOCUM ENTS te. oe raat 5 ce a 47 
Mista se 1 OM AT HAND) DANTE 6 Ona Os ee Oe al 48-9 

WerONAH, AND THE ““WHALE— 22 ...005 SE ee SP eB 52 to 59 


(Continued on next page) 


Ry. 4 saa a ai 


ProoF THAT DANIEL WROTE WHAT IS CREDITED TO HIM........... 59 


THE SEPTUAGINT ) coheed nee teres Re a 61-2 
How Jews reckoned books of the Bible - 
Apocrypha not accepted as part of Scripture 


"CHE. (APOCRY PEA. vas ceisck ohare eed kee 63 
Apocryphal books 22 22S oe) oe eee 65 b 
SO-CALLED LOST BOOKS 2 82 ee oh oe ee 68 . 
PUNCTUATION OF “THE > DIBLE* bse wa ee ee 69 4 
JITVIDED? ENTONCHAPTERS (i ete. es So ee oe ee vi 
VERSE DIVISION crecscsssee- each caan, ost ect sda eee 72 
ANTIQUITY AND AUTHENTICITY OF SCRIPTURES © -cccccossscessessucenseen 72 
ARCHAEOLOGICAL” EVIDENCE sss ct le ae 73 to 8&3 
ities PESTIMONY:--OF }CHBIST 4h eae ee 84 
TESTIMONY ORT TH Back) ISGIRLE Swi occa ee ee 85 
NECESSITY FOR cBARLY|cTRANSLATIONS, noc....0cceue eee ae 86 
PESHTTO:. VERSION: | opines we a es ee 
Grow Ta TING - VERSTON, (ct be Ry eS eS pet 89 
ACHBt V ULGATER ete ne nee Re, er 90 
ACATICAN | AVIAN USCRIPT! 408 cuca te sueee one ee 91 | 
CODER OTN AITICUS a20-o cock os ob ten ees ee eee ee 5 OA | 
CODEXSALEXANDRIANUS * eee ee ce a 93 ' 
(CODEK= T PHRAE MLE G2 es oie Se ee 5 a 
ASSCELOUTITY = PROVEN Fat atin ne, lee gay St ple ‘ 
GONSTANTINE /AND THE BIBLE{ co 3p eee eee . 
OTHER “OLD MANUSCRIPTS)? i200 Si ee ee 98 
EVGuISH-+. VERSIONS 2). Secon eee baal ee 102 
WYCLIFRITS “TRANSLATION 2.60 oS. ee 
SE YNDALE'S ~~ PRANSEATION 200i 2 oe | 
AE ERED OCCOPPATNED CO IBLE: Gre. ek Ra ee a 107 ’ 
OTHEROLD JE NGUISH BIBLES. 25. ee ; 
GENEVA -OR BREECHES “BIBLE: 20 See eS <i eos! 109. 
BISHOPS? BIBLE sie. 2 Saket bot ile et aes eee 110 
SCAG H OLIC + GIBLES acctios Se aol pas Re eS open ot ee 110 
KING? JAMES VERSION? Joon ee ee 112 
REVISED. ~ VERSION cue re ee ae ee 
ISFESER S JEWISH BIGLR *e je eee ee 117 
GODS=OTrANDARD* OF FE’ THIGgie 22 Ve i ee eee memes ai 
INSPIRATION (OF: THES BIBLE. 2 see eS ee 122 


LIFE AND POWER OF THE Worp 





or Gov Is ate MESSENGER en 


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Mp D OF. Curist omnes 


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Tr i Hoty Spirir ProMIsED eg eaten ee heater 131 


errr eee ree nr eerererrers Aten eeeneenrennenw en a eee wee wenn ee 


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